A Love Returned
by FlameOfIllumination
Summary: Post Chosen. Willow, trying to escape a twisted relationship with Kennedy, finds that The Powers gift to Buffy was also a gift to her. Buffy and Faith begin to realise that mutual lust and a new friendship may not be enough to keep them together. BF WK, W
1. The Aftermath of Apocalypse

**Chap 1**

The silence was becoming oppressive until Dawn broke it with an innocent question.

"What are we going to do now Buffy?"

Buffy shook her head slowly, and looked at her sister. "Whatever you want Dawnie."

That's how it ended. Life in Sunnydale. A Witch, a Watcher, a Man and a bus full of Slayers pulled away from the Ex-Hell Mouth, voices silenced as they thought of what had just happened to them, and for some of them, to their home.

Buried somewhere in the depths of the gaping hole that was their town lay the bodies of friends and loved ones. Many Potentials, killed before their Slayer power was awakened. Robin Wood and Andrew.

And Anya. The ex-vengeance demon died fighting for a race she'd just joined.

_Is it a kind of dream?_

_Floating out on the tide_

_Following the river of death downstream_

_Oh, is it a dream?_

_There's a fog along the horizon_

_A strange glow in the sky_

_And nobody seems to know where you go_

_And what does it mean?_

Willow sat back on her seat, sighing. Beside her sat Kennedy, still surging with adrenalin and unable to keep silent any longer, she turned to Willow and smiled. "We did it! We kicked their ass!" Faith turned around from near the front of the bus, where she'd been sitting and staring back at the gaping hole that used to be Sunnydale.

Of all of them, she'd been the least surprised when Buffy jumped onto their roof. 'She's a Slayer' Faith had said patiently. 'Think she's gunna let a minor annoyance like saving the world get in the way of giving me more lectures?'

"Yeah kid, that was a fun afternoon." Faith said smirking slightly, "But shut-up about it for now. It's not a good time." Faith turned back around and thus missed the astonished looks from Buffy, Kennedy and the rest of the bus.

However Willow realised what Faith was talking about and she got up, making her shaky way to the front of the bus to where Xander was sitting, a seat ahead of Faith.

"Xander?" she said uncertainly.

Xander sat staring out the window, hands clenched together tightly.

"Xander." she said again.

The man turned and faced her, his good eye glittering with unshed tears and a half-smile on his face.

"Will," he half whispered. "Glad to see you didn't go 'Veiny Willow'."

"I, it didn't happen like that" Willow replied uncertainly.

"I know." Xander said "Kennedy told me you're a goddess."

Willow shook her head miserable, and sat down next to Xander, holding his hand uncertainly. "I'm really sorry Xander."

Xander looked away. "She, she wanted to help. I guess..." Xander hesitated, his voice faltering. "She understood the risks, but I never, I never really thought that she'd, she'd die."

His voice shook on the last word but Xander continued bravely.

"I really loved her Will." Willow ducked her head, her own eyes full of tears. _I know._

W_hat it is to lose the one you love. Tara..._

"Tara." Xander said suddenly. "Anya told me she'd never really understood death until Tara died." Willow flinched.

"And she saw you, saw how much it hurt you and she told me that if I 'went and got myself killed' then she'd dig me up and kill me again herself."

Willow smiled weakly and hugged Xander, who cried for a few minutes, and then stopped, acutely aware of the silence and the likelihood that everyone on the bus was looking at them.

Eventually Willow went back to her own seat, sliding in next to Kennedy. "Poor Xander" Kennedy murmured quietly, scanning Willow's face. Willow nodded. Kennedy grinned. "You are a goddess. You made me a Slayer."

Willow frowned. "I didn't just do it for you. It was necessary. And stop calling me that!" Irritated, Willow turned away. _I'm an Amazon..._she thought sadly, remembering what Tara had called her. Kennedy looked at her, hurt.

The bus ride continued, the girls chatting quietly as they became tired.

Willow sat silently, lost in thought, thinking back to those last few moments.

* * *

It was an incredible rush of sadness and happiness mixed together, power and pain. The thing she'd felt most vividly though, was relief and love. Relief, that it had worked, that she was not evil, and love. Fighting the urge to give into the darkness Willow had cried out, aloud and silently, asking for someone to help her be strong. And the universe granted her wish.

And she came to her. Tara's face appeared out of the blackness and instantly her view changed, behind her stars wheeled, the universe filled with light for that instance and Willow's power changed from Dark to Light. As she completed the spell, whispered the last syllable, Tara's face faded and only the lingering sound of her words remained. "I love you."

Coming back into the chaos of the Hell mouth Willow gazed into Kennedy's eyes as she said the same thing, grinning.

"I love you too" Willow had replied. _I love you too...Tara._

* * *

Willow raised her head as the bus slowly halted outside a ramshackle hotel on the outskirts of a town. "We'll stay here tonight" Giles announced, standing near the front of the bus.

The Slayers and Andrew, Xander and Giles filed off the bus.

"I'm sorry Kennedy." Willow said, last off the bus. Kennedy turned around and smiled.

"No worries." she said. Willow held out her hand and Kennedy took it. Walking ahead of them was Faith, who halted and stared up at the Hotel.

"Jesus B, even I've stayed in better dives than this one."

"It's cheap and close." Buffy replied from the front of the group. "Plus, Giles picked it."

"Hey" that ex-watcher replied. "I was under the impression some of you girls were tired- no?"

Half-hearted mumbling answered him. Later that night, after a meal the girls headed to their rooms. "Now I couldn't get as many rooms as I would have liked, so you'll have to share." Giles announced awkwardly.

Giles stopped at the first door. "Do not hesitate to call me if you need anything although," he paused tiredly. "Try not to make it in the next few hours." There was a round of patient laughter.

The girls quickly got into rough groups, although Faith in particular was annoyed to find it was 4 girls to a room. Willow and Kennedy stood side by side, Willow gradually becoming aware that Kennedy had a very tight grip on her wrist, as if she was afraid of Willow wandering off.

"Ease up Ken" she whispered. "You're hurting my arm."

Kennedy eased the pressure a little and smiled sheepishly.


	2. An Intrusion

**Chap 2**

"Ken...Ken, don't." Willow whispered in the dark.

"I want to. I'm...restless."

"Kennedy, Faith and Buffy are on the other side of this room, they're 3 feet away." Willow whispered a trifle angrily.

"So?" Even in the darkness Willow could tell Kennedy was grinning.

"So I'm not into exhibitions!" Willow hissed, a little louder.

"You're ashamed of me."

"No!"

"You are." Kennedy insisted, her voice softer than ever.

Willow swallowed hard, and removed her hand from Kennedy's arm, which was wrapped up around her chest.

Kennedy smiled victoriously.

Willow lay in the dark, her girlfriend groping her chest and kissing her neck and wondered why she had tears in her eyes.

Why she wanted nothing more than to burst out of that bed and run, fast and far.

_It's the adrenalin. From the fight_. Willow comforted herself, almost totally unaware nowof what Kennedy was doing- so successfuly could she block her out.

* * *

Three feet away Faith lay awake.

Beside her Buffy slept quietly, unaware.

She heard Kennedy and Willow's whispered debate, and had guessed at the conclusion before they'd finished. Willow would give up.

_Red_ _would never have let the other chick do that to her._ Faith mused. _Although it's my guess that that girl...well that the situation wouldn't arise._

Faith rolled over noisily, not caring if the girls heard her.

"Gotta piss" she muttered, faking a sleepy tone, and deliberately not looking at the other bed.

"Fuck." Kennedy said silently.

She rolled over onto her other side, back facing Willow and tried to sleep, a frown creasing her forehead.

_Damn it Willow why won't you love me?_

When Faith retuned from the bathroom she glanced over to the other bed. Kennedy was sleeping, mouth open.

Willow met Faith's gaze for a few seconds in the darkness and just before Faith looked away she swore she saw a look of gratitude in the witch's eyes.

_Weird. Wouldn't mind a roll in the sack myself, but unfortunately I'm sleeping with Ms Prude herself_.

Next morning Willow rolled bleary-eyed out of bed, stepping directly onto a discarded hairbrush and stumbling forward.

Strong arms caught her roughly. "Watch it Red." Faith snapped, obviously not a morning person.

"Sorry."

Faith yawned and slung her arm casually around Willow's shoulder. "Whaddya think Red, breakfast."

Willow smiled and left the room with her, not looking back.

When Buffy awoke the room was empty, and faint noises of laughter told her that she'd slept in, and the others were at breakfast.

"Buffy Summers?" A polite voice intruded.

Buffy sat up quickly, mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Tara?"

**I just got Season 4 of Buffy for my birthday and have been watching it over and over.**

**I should try and finish one of my other stories but I feel like Buffy at the moment so I won't.**

**Lol I mean, I am, but the chapters are coming along slowly.**


	3. A LifeSong

**One little swear word in this chapter. Song I like is also here, inspired by Where the Wild Things Are, which I dislike for all the Buffy/Riley sex but love because Giles sings so beautifully...if that's the right word for it.**

**A big thank you to MsHellFire2005****, devianttart, Snow Duchess and Enigmatic Eel. **

"No. Not her. Just her form. In life, you talked with her; we thought this would make you comfortable."

Buffy stared.

"Perhaps not."

Tara frowned and changed. In her spot stood Andrew.

"Andrew." Buffy said reflexively.

Andrew frowned. "No. Just his body."

"Who are you!" Buffy demanded angrily.

"We are here to give you a gift."

"What kind of gift? Shoes?"

Andrew looked at her,confused and changed again.

"Damnit stop doing that, its confusing!" Buffy said plaintively.

"You have the choice" the First Slayer said gutturally. "For destroying a Hell Mouth, for the blood sacrifices you made..."

_Blood sacrifices...Anya, Andrew, Robin, and Potentials...Spike._

"For these, we give you a gift. A life."

"Choose wisely." Giles stood before her. "Choose Well."

And then Buffy was left alone in her room, staring at her hands. Suddenly the laughter and breakfast downstairs didn't seem as appealing.

"But it's not true. It's a joke. They can't mean it." Buffy thought hastily. _A life. No way. No way_. Tears came to her eyes. _Funny joke. I know there's another hell mouth_. _Some sick fuck toying with my mind._

Buffy put it out of her mind determinedly, and headed downstairs.

* * *

Working out what to do next took a long time, and many nights. Many arguments too, as Buffy and the Scooby Gang, along with Faith, argued with a lot of inexperienced and over-excited Slayers.Some returned to their homes, eager to see families left behind in the chaos. 

A large group however, had no families at all- it seemed to be a feature of Slayer hood. These girls eventually agreed to travel to England, under the guidance of Giles and Xander, who were to teach them.

Many tears were shed as they left, and Willow had been almost inconsolable, to Kennedy's discomfiture.

"We're split up. How could you let this happen?" Willow had asked quietly.

Buffy looked sad. "It's what they want to do. I can't stop them."

Their last night together, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles stayed in the temporary accommodation Giles had got for himself.

"You know Giles. I never did see your allegedly sexy singing." Buffy remarked, after a night of popcorn, soft drink and talking.

Giles muttered "don't know what you mean. Hardly the time..."

"Come on." Willow urged him. "You know you love going all crooner on us."

Giles shrugged uncharacteristically, put down his glass of wine and grabbed his guitar from the corner, sitting down and turning away from them.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and warned them "I'm not very good."

_**She calls out to the man on the street**_

_**"Sir, can you help me?**_

_**It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,**_

_**Is there somewhere you can tell me?"**_

_**He walks on, doesn't look back**_

_**He pretends he can't hear her**_

_**Starts to whistle as he crosses the street**_

_**Seems embarrassed to be there**_

_**Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for** _

_**You and me in paradise**_

_**Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you,**_

_**You and me in paradise**_

Willow looked down, tears in her eyes. _Giles is sad too. Guess it's that British stuffiness that doesn't let him show it._

_**She calls out to the man on the street**_

_**He can see she's been crying**_

_**She's got blisters on the soles of her feet**_

_**She can't walk but she's trying**_

_**Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for **_

_**You and me in paradise**_

_**Oh, think twice, it's just another day for you,**_

_**You and me in paradise**_

_**Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do**_

_**Oh lord; there must be something you can say**_

Xander cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. Buffy took his hand silently, eyes on Giles who was still slightly turned away, his face in shadow. "I see what you mean Willow." Buffy whispered, smiling. "That is kinda sexy."

Xander groaned and put his hands over his ears. "I am not hearing that."

_**You can tell from the lines on her face**_

_**You can see that she's been there**_

_**Probably been moved on from every place**_

_**But she didn't fit in there**_

_**Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for **_

_**You and me in paradise**_

_**Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,**_

_**You and me in paradise**_

_**It's just another day for you and me in paradise**_

_**It's just another day for you and me in paradise**_

Giles trailed off and Willow stared down at the ground, fighting of tears and a terrible resurgence of a feeling reminiscent of home-sickness- but one Willow knew would be more appropriately named Tara-sickness.

Giles put his guitar down and cleaned his glasses.

"Well. There you have it."

**Not such a fabulous chapter this one but I loved the reviews so I thought I'd update quickly...still sidetracked but glad people understand :)**


	4. Things Keeping Us Awake At Night

Willow woke on a Monday morning to an unfamiliar room. She stared around for a second until her memory asserted itself and she remembered.

This was the house they were renting. She rolled over slowly and winced as a bruise made itself known. Willow glanced over her shoulder at where Kennedy was sleeping.

**_"Don't you want to live with me? You can come back to my parent's house."_**

**_"Your parent's manor." Willow teased._**

**_"Yeah. It'd be great."_**

**_Willow hesitated. "Are you sure..."_**

**_"What?"_**

**_"Nothing. Look, we can't go now, I have to stay here for a while, help Buffy."_**

**_Kennedy scowled. "Buffy can take care of herself. She's got Faith."_**

**_Willow shook her head. "It won't be long, I promise. A couple of months. We can just...we can both stay here, and then when...when everything's more normal..." Willow trailed off._**

**_"You'll come home with me." Kennedy stated._**

**_Willow nodded, feeling as though her invisible chains had gotten heavier._**

Swinging out of bed, Willow shrugged on some clothes and stumbled downstairs, expecting to be the first one up, as usual. Instead she stumbled upon Faith, sitting bleary eyed at the table clutching a mug of coffee in one hand.

"Morning Faith."

"Red."

"What are you doing up so early?" Willow asked curiously, looking more to take her mind of Kennedy then anything else.

"Can't sleep."

Willow sat down across the table from her, tilted her head to one side and asked "Why?"

"Not important."

"If it's keeping you up all night then it is." Willow countered.

In a movement faster than Willow could see Faith stood and grasped her shirt, pulling the redhead close to her and wrenching her sleeve up in one fast movement.

"I'll make you a deal, **Willow**. You tell me about this little ole bruise on your arm, and I'll tell you why I can't sleep at night."

Willow pulled back, startled but immensely relieved when Faith let her go.

_No, don't touch me. Don't want you to touch me._

"It's just me being clumsy. Our floor is extra slippy." Willow smiled, feeling sick to her stomach, pulling her sleeve back down and continuing before Faith had a chance to interrupt. "So why aren't you sleeping?"

Faith stared at Willow sceptically until she started to feel nervous and then sighed.

"Alright. I've been a bit tense... doing a lot of thinking, you know?"

_Boy do I_. Willow thought.

* * *

Buffy paced her room anxiously. For once not needing her coffee hit she'd elected to stay in her room. The house had four bedrooms- one for Will and Kennedy, one for Faith, one for Buffy and one for Giles/Xander when they came back.

"They will be coming back." she said to herself, firmly.

A few minutes went by and Buffy continued to walk the length of her room, full of energy.

'Okay. Willow will be awake now." Buffy wrinkled her nose "This room smells funny. Why didn't I get the blue room?"

Walking quietly down the stairs Buffy heard Faith talking softly and stopped walking.

"Every night...it's like I can hear... in my head. Talking to me." Faith said, trying to look nonchalant.

Willow mumbled something but even with Slayer hearing Buffy missed it.

"I know they're dreams!" Faith snapped embarrassedly. Buffy scowled, dearly wanting to tell her not to be so snappy.

"I just can't stop thinking about them."

'You should tell her." Willow advised clearly.

"No! Tells her this? She'd die of a heart attack and then I'd go to gaol again."

Willow laughed quietly. "You'd be surprised. She's fine with me."

Faith laughed. "Yes, but you are her long-time best friend, Superwitch. I am the insane psycho who swapped bodies with her, tried to kill her and helped the mayor turn snake-a-fied."

"It's not like you to be unconfident." Willow said, not knowing how to reply.

"Come on, remember, you're gorgeous, you're smart, you're the Slayer."

Faith laughed. "Everyone's the Slayer now it seems."

"But you(and buffy) are the Original Slayers."

"You think I'm gorgeous?" Faith teased, changing the subject.

Buffy began to feel guilty about eavesdropping and silently walked back to the top of the stairs, and started down them, walking normally, knowing Faith would be able to hear her.

Sure enough, before she'd gone three steps the voices stopped, then as Buffy got near the kitchen door Faith called out "Hey B."

"Hi Faith, Willow."

"Buffy." Willow said smiling gently, guiltily.

(Willow's POV)

_Okay, here comes the big fake grin from Faith. Now Buffy will look at her for a while...and now she's remembered I'm here again and she's looking at me._

_She's still looking at me...look at Faith!_ Willow silently begged.

Willow glanced at Faith who was watching Buffy, a predatory look on her face.

_Guess all she needed was a confidence booster_

Willow started to back away, mumbling "I've got stuff to do."

"Okay," Faith said, "But you have to come out with B and me tonight!"

"We're going somewhere?" Buffy interrupted "Sure we are." Faith replied.

"I was just about to tell you, I found this great club, we can go, have a few drinks" Faith grinned and took Buffy's hand casually, "have a few dances" she laughed, pulling Buffy towards her slightly then letting go with a wink.

Willow grinned internally at the puzzled look on Buffy's face.

"So dancing, drinking, having fun. Any objections?"

"Are you alright Faith?" Willow turned to leave but heard Buffy's question and smiled.

"Five by Five B."

**I'm inspired by all those reviews so this story is getting updated much quicker that usual. Lol. I like Faith heaps too, so she's getting more story than I'd planned- is that okay with everyone?**

**Thanks to **devianttart, MsHellFire2005, Alyson Teague and she-witch

**Yes just the one person, but that's the Power That Be for you. :)**


	5. For hope I'd give my everything

_"You've waited long enough. This is a gift, Slayer. Use it."_

_"No." Buffy whispered._

_The Voice flared in anger "You are the Slayer. Don't give me any of this bullshit about suddenly not being strong enough!" the Voice snapped, sounding suddenly like Faith._

_Silence for a while..._

_Buffy stared at her hands._

_"Buffy, dear?"_

_Joyce Summers crawled into bed beside her daughter._

_"Mum." Buffy said, tears coming to her eyes. "Is this real, are you here, or part of the dream?"_

_"I'm here." Joyce smiled. "I'm very proud of you."_

_"Mum, I don't know what to do."_

_Joyce looked at her steadily. "You are not to choose Me." she said firmly._

_"What? But, I have to!" Buffy protested, feeling strangely weak._

_"I cannot come back now. I love you, but you need to live without me."_

_Buffy bowed her head. "I don't know what to do. So many people have died."_

_Joyce smiled. "You will know when the time comes. You have one month."_

_"Mum!"_

* * *

Buffy woke up, breathing heavily and staring around.

"What time is it?" she muttered. "Quarter to 8! I'm supposed to meet them at the club down the road at 8!"

Racing through her shower and dressing, Buffy paused by the mirror to check her hair. 2 past 8.

* * *

Willow smiled at Kennedy and sipped her drink slowly.

"Where's Faith?" Kennedy asked, throwing back a shot of vodka.

Willow shrugged. "She's late." _Probably wants to make an entrance._

"And Buffy?" Kennedy continued an involuntary frown on her face at the thought of Buffy. _Bossy slayer bitch. Probably busy helping an old lady cross the road_.

"She's always late." Willow nodded absently.

"Willow!" Buffy said, making her way through the club. "Hi Buffy" Willow said, watching her. "Buffy." Kennedy said flatly. "Kennedy." Buffy nodded.

Buffy was dressed in jeans and a white shirt, looking remarkably casual, but still good.

For a while the three waited in the dark and noisy club, sipping drinks and watching the crowd dance. Faith watched them from through a window, feeling nervous, a strange sensation for her.

"Showtime."

The club was dark and the music loud. Faith strutted in through the front doors, looking around casually, enjoying the sensation she caused.

Eyes, both male and female followed her as she walked casually over to the corner where her friends were.

_Shows how much this has changed. They're not just B, Red the witch and her girl, but my friends._

"B" Faith said, putting on slim arm on her hips.

"Faith" Buffy said eagerly, then, trying to one it down "You're late."

"No kidding B. Now" she continued, watching as Kennedy dragged Willow onto the dance floor "How about my dance?"

* * *

Head throbbing- the beginning of a hangover already asserting itself, Willow continued to dance, eyes slightly glazed. Kennedy let go of her arm briefly to grab another drink, sculling it quickly. "Come on, lets go" she whispered.

Willow glanced over her shoulder and smiled despite herself. Faith was dancing close to Buffy, and as she watched Faith ran her fingers briefly over Buffy's shoulder, daring her to comment.

"Okay." She said.

Heading into Kennedy's room behind her, Willow could taste alcohol on her own breath, and on Kennedy's.

_Okay_. She lectured herself. _Today's the day you get over it. Kennedy loves you._ She lectured herself, _and_ _you_ _love_ _her_. _Nothing's_ _changed_.

_ Here we are so what you gonna do?_

_ Do I gotta spell it out for you?_

_ I can see that you got other plans for tonight_

_ But I don't really care_

_ Size me up you know I beat the best_

_ Tick tock no time to rest_

_ Let them say what their gonna say_

_ But tonight I just don't really care_

"B." Faith was quieter now, as they walked the streets.

"Yes Faith?" Buffy stumbled slightly, the alcohol rushing to her head.

"You didn't look like too much of a dickhead dancing tonight." Faith said.

Buffy stopped walking. "Thank you." The two slayers watched each other for a while, silently.

It was quicker then expected really. 10 minutes from the club to having the blond slayer in her arms. One word, one fatal slip and here they were in the muted light, feeling soft lips meet equally soft ones.

'Buffy?' Faith had said as they reached home, ostensibly so Faith could have some coffee.

Buffy had turned and looked at her and too late Faith realised she hadn't called her 'B.'

Buffy closed the distance between them as Faith stared, grinning and lost in her eyes.

"Faith?' Buffy asked questioningly, her voice soft.

Faith ran for the stairs, grinning as she went. _Girl loves a chase. _She thought, pulling ahead, entering her room and turning to catch Buffy as she ran through the door.

Kissing her hard and feeling her heart soar as the blonde responded.

"Why?" Buffy mumbled in the dark, "I have to." Faith replied, pushing her back gently onto the bed and pausing to admire the other slayer, right where she'd always wanted her.

_ Come on baby we ain't gonna live 4ever_

_ Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_ You know you wanna be together_

_ And I wanna spend the night with you_

_ Yeah, yeah with you, yeah, yeah_

_ Come with me tonight_

_ We could make the night last 4ever_

She slid onto the bed beside her, Slayer strength evident as she took grip on the others pale arms. "Hey Will," Kennedy laughed. "C'mere." Willow shuffled over beside her awkwardly; _I should have drunk more_ she thought as Kennedy pulled her closer, sticking her tongue in Willow's mouth and plundering it mercilessly.

Willow forced herself to relax, kissing Kennedy gently. _My girlfriend. She is very hot._ Willow admitted, looking her over for the first time in a long time.

**_Faith and Buffy took it fast the first time. Using all their strength to ease their frustrations. Despite their strength, they left no bruises. "Faith..."_**

"_**B."**_

"Not again." Willow muttered.

Kennedy, who up until then had been unfailing polite, seductive and charming, like she used to be, became angry.

"What the hell! I love you witch girl!"

"Witch girl?"

Her face going red Willow turned and stared hard at Kennedy.

"Not a goddess anymore?" she asked, hurt.

Kennedy's face fell, before another charming smile flashed over it.

"Oh Willow, I'm so sorry. I was just angry" she said apologetically. "Sometimes I think you don't love me."

"Oh Ken..." Willow said helplessly, tears starting. _I don't love you. Come on say it!_

"You do love me don't you? Why won't you let me?"

"We just did!" Willow protested.

"You need more stamina." Kennedy's voice was dangerous and in the darkness Willow was sure she spied a predatory grin. Willow tried again, angry and hurt. "I am **not** a Slayer. I don't want to. Leave me alone before we get into a fight."

"No."

And then Willow learned the downside of dating a Slayer. They are much stronger than you.

The rooms were nearly soundproofed, and the other two Slayers distracted, so no-one heard Willow cry out. "Shh." Kennedy said harshly.

She shut her eyes and tried to bring up her magic, but because of her panic it didn't work.

Kennedy backhanded her "No magic darling. I'll make the magic."

_ Oh how I wish  
For soothing rain  
All I wish is to dream again  
My loving heart  
Lost in the dark  
For hope I'd give my everything  
_

**Like it? Reviews?**


	6. Tears in the ParkStill Delaying

**Okay. I've just been on a website that has lots of Tara bashing. That sucks. So just to tell you, I like Tara, and Willow, and Faith. (And Anya, but only the first time I hear her lines)...just noticed there's a lot of crying...hope that's okay...**

"Where's Dawn?" Willow mumbled at the door to Buffy's room.

Inside muffled sleepy groans as Buffy woke up.

"Huh..?" she said softly.

"Where's Dawn."

"Went...friends...back...9am." Buffy mumbled, before rolling over again.

Willow stared at the wooden door despondently.

"Okay."

I_t's good...Dawn's just a kid anyway...need someone...not Buffy... Xander's gone,_ Willow's eyes filled with tears..._Giles is gone..._

"Willow?" Kennedy called sleepily from her room. "Where are you?"

Willow stopped. Her face trembled and with one hand she brushed a tear away before answering. "Going for a walk." she said shortly, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

Willow walked through the park head down, staring at the fallen leaves, her mind a mess of confusing thoughts.

_Kennedy loves me. But she hurt me. But she loves me. And I treat her badly._ She sank onto the ground, back against a tree.

"What am I going to do?" she moaned aloud, tears falling again. _Seems all I ever do is cry nowadays._

Some minutes later Buffy sat up, wide-awake. Something had finally filtered through her sleep fogged brain. She was in bed with Faith. Slowly and carefully she turned her head, the dark haired slayer lay beside her, but not asleep, her eyes were wide open and she stared back at Buffy, eyes dark with some emotion.

"Faith?" Buffy said tentatively.

Faith sat up, leaning away from Buffy. "B. Hey."

She swung her legs out of bed, shrugging on her clothes quickly.

Buffy watched in bewilderment and growing anxiety. Fai-"? She started, getting half the word out before Faith left the room, shutting the door firmly.

Willow sighed, unable to stop the tears from coming. She stayed silent, knowing that if she opened her mouth she wouldn't be able to stop calling for her. For Tara. _Why? Why is this happening now? It's been a year, why can't I just let her go?_

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Willow screeched, tearing up fistfuls of grass.

"If I didn't know that you haven't noticed me, I might be offended by that," a voice drawled, and a strong hand grabbed Willow's, pulling it away from the grass and then dropping it. "It's pretty crappy grass for a park, but you should take your anger out on someone, not nature." Faith said, sitting down casually beside Willow and pretending not to see her tears.

Willow looked at her in astonishment for several long moments and then realised what the slayer had just said. "Concerned about the environment Faith?" Willow laughed through her tears.

"Not really no. Fuck the environment!" Faith shouted.

Willow looked up in alarm.

Faith caught her gaze. "No I haven't been drinking Red- well not since last night."

"I've never seen you like this." Willow said softly, feeling the illusory quality of their conversation. _Who would ever guess I would be sitting in the park talking about the environment with Faith? Faith the 'evil one'_

"Yeah well I'm the Bad Girl aren't I? The Bad Slayer, like Buffy's the good Slayer." Faith said lightly.

Willow didn't know what to say.

"Anyway, bugger all that," Faith said roughly. "I heard you this morning, asking for Dawn. I wasn't really awake, but about half an hour later it registered in my brain."

Willow looked down, troubled.

Faith sighed impatiently. "Okay Red, I know. I'm the evil slayer; I'm the murderer, gaol-bird, whatever. I'm also right here, and strange as this might sound, not here to moralise on ya, lecture you or bag you out."

"Why are you here then?" Willow choked out, trying to inject some of the roughness in Faith's voice into her own, but feeling that she'd failed as her voice retained that special "I've been crying" sound.

"Cos...Whether you like it or not, I have a certain...I actually, uh, you know."

"No I don't know."

"Well..." Faith looked pained. "I don't want to see you get tossed off a bridge, if there's something I could do about it, if you know what I mean."

Willow thought about what Tara would say to that.

"That's very nice Faith. Did you say that to Buffy, was it your eloquence that impressed her." Willow mimicked Faith 'Hey B, now that everything's all 5 by 5, I'm feeling like I don't want you to jump off a bridge as much as in the sack.' _On second thoughts I doubt Tara would say that. But it was either make a joke or hug her, and I don't think we're ready for the hugging._

Faith laughed. "I was just my usual sexy self Red." She paused, and then decided to see if they could talk about what she came for.

"So, you up for talking about it?" Faith asked, then began to back-pedal. "I mean hey, just tell me to fuck off if your not and I'll head back." She began to stand up.

"Alright" Willow said softly. "But Faith, you have to promise, don't say anything to Buffy or Kennedy. Especially Kennedy."

Faith frowned, already half convinced she knew what Willow was going to tell her, and wanting a 'conversation' with Kennedy very much.

"Okay fine." She said at last, disgusted with herself for giving in.

"I promise. Now spill."

"Faith's not here?" Kennedy scowled. "Willow's gone too. They probably went for a walk together." She growled, jealousy darkening her features. Buffy just looked at her in puzzlement, _what's got her in such a bad mood?_

Buffy turned away from her, wishing childishly that Kennedy had missed out on slayer powers. It just seemed to make her more annoying and aggressively petulant. She slumped down on a chair and put her head in her hands. _Why does this shit happen to me?_

Bright white light. _Why are you still procrastinating? You have to think about it sometime. But, I don't know what to do! _Buffy protested silently.

The voice softens, becomes more sympathetic. _You know. It's in your heart, its just taking a long time to get to your head. I'll help you._

"What the hell are you doing Summers?" Kennedy asked loudly.

Buffy jumped up from her seat, heart pounding.

"You were mumbling and waving your hands about and stuff." Kennedy continued, staring at her.

Buffy bit her lip hard. _Don't say it don't say it don't say it._

"Don't worry about it." She mumbled through gritted teeth.

**...I kind of wrote this in bits and pieces...I think the bits with Buffy and Kennedy are very wooden and crappy but I'm in that 'too tired to think' mode. Oh well. Try to ignore the crappiness of that bit and perhaps give me some constructive criticism, or praise or flames or whatever. Please?**


	7. You're lucky to have me

**In which Kennedy rants and excuses, Willow is sad and Buffy is oblivious.**

Faith glared at the grass. _How dare that bitch do that to Red. Now she's crying._

"You'll be okay red. There are a lot of people watchin' out for you." Faith said, feeling awkward.

"I don't know."

"I'm not stupid. I know what's going on." Faith said, interrupting her.

"And I'm sorry. Better than anyone I should know you won't talk about it. Your girl is a bitch." She said matter-of-factly.

"Shut-up" Willow exclaimed angrily, "She is not. What do you know about it!"

Faith looked at her steadily. "I know." She said firmly, not elaborating.

Willow flushed. "It's alright for you, you're a slayer. What am I? The sidekick, the best friend, the girl that almost ended the world."

Faith smiled wryly. "Ending the world is a pretty powerful thing. I don't know any slayer who could do that. Besides, you're a witch Red, not just some chick with protruding veins and lots of eye make-up." She grew serious. "But you changed the subject on me. You have to do something; you can't just be like this."

Willow stood abruptly. "Shut-up. I have to do this. I can't leave her, she needs Me." she stammered out, not looking at her.

"Willow" Faith started.

"No Faith. I don't want to talk about it, there's nothing to talk about. Just leave me alone." Willow stared down at her for a moment, face emotionless before turning on her heel and walking away quickly.

Faith watched her go helplessly, anger and guilt gnawing at her mind.

_I can't let this happen, not to Willow. She's so...not me._

* * *

Buffy looked up from her magazine at the sounds of footsteps on the doorstep. "Faith?" she called out.

"No." Willow said, entering the room. "Just me. Faith is probably still walking."

Buffy frowned. "I would ask what you two were talking about but I probably don't want to know." She said, mock upset.

_You don't know how right you are._ Willow thought.

"Buffy" she said warningly, "Don't be stupid." _Kennedy might hear you_ she added silently.

"I know. Paranoia."

"Will?" she said.

"Yeah?" the witch replied, sitting down on the lounge next to her.

"Is Faith...I mean, don't worry."

"What?" Willow said, bemused.

"I'm going to train." the slayer said, heading for the back door.

Willow sank back on the couch.

A door banged and Willow turned her head, expecting to see Faith or Buffy. "Willow!" Kennedy said loudly, heading over to her and sitting down close to her.

"Hey Kennedy," Willow said, leaning away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking concerned.

Willow looked at her in disbelief. Faith's angry face flashed into her mind and she sat up straight. _I'll just talk to her; maybe, I mean maybe she's sorry._

"What's wrong?" she whispered angrily. "Don't you remember last night? Forget where I got this from?" she asked, pulling up her sleeve to reveal purple finger marks on her arm.

Kennedy smiled. "Oh silly, we were just playing." she said lightly.

Willow shuddered. "This isn't a joke! I can't believe you would do that to me."

"I'm sorry okay," Kennedy said petulantly. "Can we please not fight about this?"

"Why, going to hurt me if I don't shut up? Going to..." she stopped and stammered. "Going to. To do that..." Willow trailed off, tears in her eyes. _Why do I always end up crying!_

Kennedy's face reddened and she stood up.

"I don't want to talk about this!" the slayer shouted, curling her hands into fists. "Just stop it!"

Outside the house, Buffy paused mid-step and took her hand off the back door handle. _Hmm, having a fight. I guess I'll go find Faith._

She turned away from the house, heading down the pavement towards a near by coffee shop. _I'll get some caffeine in me; give them time to cool down. _Just before entering the café she paused, a thoughtful, concerned expression on her face. _That sounded like the fight Tara and Willow had over magic. Except that Tara wouldn't shout like that at Willow._

"I guess Kennedy just doesn't understand that magic is part of her."

"What?" a startled question intruded on her reverie and Buffy jumped. "Faith," she smiled, trying not to blush as she looked at the other slayer, sitting at a table, looking up from her occupation of gazing at the other patrons with a disdainful smirk on her face.

"What did you mean by that?" Faith said doggedly, finding time in a portion of her mind to be amused by Buffy's new awkwardness.

"Oh. Well, Willow and Kennedy are fighting." Buffy said matter-of-factly. Faith stilled and searched Buffy's face intently. She stood up.

"Well. That's, ah, that's too bad."

"Yeah." Buffy agreed, her tone confused. "Faith, can I talk to you?"

. "I don't know. Is this the talk where you tell me you were very drunk, and 'it's probably because we're both slayers', and 'I hope we can be friends?'" Faith laughed, although she was looking seriously at Buffy.

Buffy smiled, feeling lighter. _That's all that's up with Faith. That's why she ran off this morning with Willow._

"Well, no it's not. Is it for you?" she asked, still embarrassed.

Faith smirked. "Well I was drunk, but not the other two." Seeing Buffy's expression at this she sighed and clarified. "I mean, dickhead," she said fondly, "that I didn't get drunk and decide to fuck you." She grinned wickedly. "I wanted you way before last night.

Buffy blushed hotly.

Darkened room. Loud voices.

"You think what; you're going to leave me?" Kennedy sneered, standing over her girlfriend.

Willow stared at her, a hot feeling of shame engulfing her as she answered. "No."

Kennedy smiled and reached down, pulling Willow off the lounge, and kissing her.

"No, you're not. You're lucky to have me Tree-girl, not everyone would put up with all this crap. The 'magic' stuff, being stuck with the bitch slayer and the ex-sociopath slayer as housemates."

Willow nodded, trying to look away. Kennedy gripped her chin tightly. "I'm the only person in the world who'd put up with this, I'm better than you deserve." She grabbed Willow's hand, slowly bending it back at the wrist. "And you'd better not try any of that hocus pocus crap on me or then you'll really be in trouble."

* * *

"The Slayer must choose. Tonight."

Dazed, Buffy shook her head. A thunderous voice had filled her mind, distracting her from her conversation with Faith. "The slayer must choose." She muttered.

_God damn I am sick of being 'The Slayer'._

**Well...Can't decide whether Kennedy will get what she deserves, or get away...any thoughts?**


	8. Injection of LightXander Returns

**Thanks to devianttart, ****Sutzina Zion,****Gina1982, ****she-witch**** and ****Lil' Candy**

**Kennedy is very annoying, I know. The return of Xander, because he just won't stay away. :)**

The sound of the phone ringing echoed through the house. Upstairs, Willow and Kennedy heard, and ignored it.

The front door was flung open and Buffy stepped in, just as the phone stopped ringing. She walked into the kitchen, quickly wrote a note and left it on the counter then, turning around grabbed her jacket from the back of a chair and went outside again, slamming the door behind her.

_Willow and Kennedy,_

_Gone patrolling with Faith. Later, _

_**Buffy**._

Buffy collided with Faith on the front step, and steadied herself against the other girl.

"What'cha doing B? Faith asked, "I thought Slayer's were graceful?"

"Sorry" Buffy said, "I thought we'd go patrol. Haven't done it in a while."

"Yeah" Faith agreed, "Cos you never know when some little JustChosen is going to leap out in front of you and do something stupid."

"That's exactly why _we_ should still patrol. So none of the new ones' kills themselves trying to be heroes. Like Dawn would, if she were here."

_Hypocrite_ Faith sniped mentally.

"Where did little sis' go anyway?" she asked.

"Away. Spain." Buffy said, blushing.

"With who?" Faith asked, ignoring Buffy.

"Dad." Buffy said shortly, casting an embarrassed look at Faith. Buffy had refused to see him, but encouraged Dawn to go. There's only so long any normal teenager can object to a trip to Spain.

Faith shrugged. "Okay, so, we really are patrolling tonight." She smiled, and placed one hand on her hip. "Anything else on your mind?" she said cheekily.

Buffy grinned and looked sideways at Faith.

"We're going patrolling." Buffy announced. "Maybe later for that." she said shyly.

"But what about Red and Kennedy?" Faith asked, not really, now the moment came, wanting the witch and the other slayer to have much more alone time.

"What about them?"

Faith paused. "Nothing." She said, shrugging it off.

Buffy eyed her oddly but didn't say anything.

* * *

Willow sung her legs over the side of the bed. "Downstairs." She muttered. "Got to do…something."

Kennedy smiled after her "yeah, say 'hi' to her for me, kay?"

* * *

"Why'd you just brush the 'Dawn' subject off?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Why wouldn't I. Think I'm so dead inside that I wouldn't care if you're hurt? Hell B, even I know when not to talk about something" Faith snapped. _Need someone to stay and make Kennedy behave herself._

Buffy stopped walking. "Faith!" her voice rose as the other slayer kept walking. "I know you care. I'm sorry."

"No, forget it. I didn't mean it." Faith said.

"I think you did. I think we should talk about this." Buffy's expression was serious.

"Honestly B, I don't give a fuck." Faith said in a flat, dead voice.

Buffy fell silent and walked beside her again. The quickest route to the graveyard was already imprinted on her brain from previous patrols, although she and Faith didn't usually patrol together. Faith always insisted she could handle herself.

Faith thought in silence. _Might as well get a lot of the crap out at the beginning._

She sighed. _Okay, talk._

"You know I'm a killer, right B?" Faith laughed bitterly. _Subtle_. _Real_ _smooth_. "Stupid question, what I mean is, don't forget what I did. Don't forget it."

"I haven't forgotten Faith." Buffy said quietly. "But I haven't forgotten what you've been through to make up for it. I have faith in you." she smiled at the intentional pun, and Faith groaned.

"Anyway. We've got slaying to do."

Willow headed downstairs. A stack of magazines on the coffee table caught her eye and she glanced through them idly. _Dawn magazines_. Dolly, Cosmo, Teen Dreams.

Underneath the magazines was a brochure, one of the welcoming kinds. Shops, schools, local attractions. None of it looked very exciting. At last, she came to one. University of… "Hey Buffy" Willow called excitedly. "We can go back to uni!"

**(Forgive the Australian words)**

Eventually, Willow realised that a) she just got practically orgasmic over the prospect of going back to school and,

b) Buffy was not home.

_I think that qualifies me as a huge nerd._

The phone started ringing again.

Willow made a grab for it, knocking it on the floor in her haste. "Don't hang up!" she cried, snatching it from the ground.

"I'm not hanging up." A male voice said, amusedly.

"Xander!"

"Sure is. How's my favourite redhead?"

"I missed you! What've you been doing?"

Xander laughed. "I could tell you right now- but how would you like to hear it in person?"

"Of course" Willow said, but you're in England and Giles and…"

She paused. "Are you in America?"

"I am. I'm also approximately 22 minutes from your house."

Willow hung up and dashed upstairs.

Approximately 18 minutes later Willow waited in the hallway. Kennedy watched her for a few minutes, silently, and then disappeared into the lounge room, starting to stretch out her legs.

Soft footsteps on the steps outside and willow rushed forward, ignoring the censuring stare Kennedy threw at her through the open door, and flung open the front door.

"Xander!" Willow cried, rushing over to hug her best friend. He dropped his head and kissed her hair. "Will." He said softly, and then, more cheerfully "Did you miss me?"

Willow hugged him tighter and mumbled, "Little bit, yeah."

He gently disengaged himself from his friend, and asked. "What's up Willow? Is that a spark of sentiment I see in your eye?"

Willow blushed and jumped three foot in the air as Kennedy appeared in the doorway and cleared her throat.

"Jumpy Willow?" Kennedy and Xander said in unison. Xander laughed.

"Hey." Kennedy said flatly to Xander. _Great. The **Best** **Friend** is back, one more person trying to steal Willow away from me. Well, at least I can take him without breaking a sweat. And if Faith tries to steal Willow away for a 'walk' again, I'll take her too._

Kennedy felt a tiny pang of regret as she watched Willow and Xander sit down. _I liked Faith. She wasn't always a little bitch like Buffy. She used to be cool. _

She sat down on the lounge next to Willow.

"Where's the Buffster?" Xander asked, one arm around Willow.

"She's out patrolling." Kennedy said. "With Faith."

"Not you though?' Xander asked innocently.

"No." Kennedy snapped.

"Anyone want coffee?" Willow asked, standing up and looking anxiously between the two of them. Soft drink? Xan you want a coke? I'll"

"Chill Treegirl." Kennedy said, -a little scornfully- Xander thought. "I'll go."

Kennedy stalked out of the room. Xander watched her go curiously. "A bit of tension there?" he said softly. "You two have a fight?"

"No." Willow shook her head quickly. "We're all good.

Kennedy came back in the room and tossed Xander a coke, opening a can herself.

"So, what do you think I take my ladies out for tea tonight?" he said, smiling.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in, I could cook something."

Xander shook his head and smiled at her. "Willow, you know you can't cook. Tara always did that."

Kennedy bristled like a dog. Willow nodded.

"Anyway, I feel like some good American junk. Nothing with mash on." Xander said.

(Kennedy): Mash?

"Yeah, mashed potato, you know. English food."

Half an hour later all were changed, Xander waited near the front door for the two girls to come down. The door opened and Buffy and Faith stepped inside, Faith was halfway through a crude joke and the two girls were holding hands.

Buffy's gaze fell on Xander and her face lit up. "Xander! What are you doing here? Where are you going?" she dropped Faith's hand and grabbed him.

"I'm a popular guy" Xander joked, readjusting his eye-patch that Buffy in her enthusiasm had knocked aside.

Xander hugged her and patiently explained he was there to visit, and was taking them out to dinner. "And that includes you," his gaze fell on Faith "two, now that you're home. So hurry up and get ready. You have twenty minutes to take showers, and get dressed. Faith nodded, her expression cool. Buffy looked at Xander as if he was an alien. "20minutes? Do you remember what a female is Xander? You've been spending too much time with Giles."

"Well, generally we have to stay away anytime showers are mentioned with the slayers" he laughed, and gave her a gentle shove towards the stairs.

"Come on B." Faith said, walking upstairs with her. "We'll shower, we'll dress, and this isn't the Miss Universe pageant."

Xander continued staring up the stairs and then shrugged his shoulders, heading over towards the living room he tossed back a comment over his shoulder. "You've got two showers, hey? Cool, that's better than in England. Nothing but female bathrooms, due to of course" he said to Kennedy, "all the female slayer types.

Giles and I were designated the least girly of the bathrooms, but every time he goes to shower he gives me this look that says, "Why am I here, training slayer's when I could be relaxing in an apartment in London?"

Kennedy turned her back on him, grabbing a wrist weight, and stretching her hands now.

Xander shrugged. _Don't know what Willow sees in that girl._

**I'm asking for some suspension of disbelief. Honestly, I forgot Dawn existed, and as it seems a bit late to kill her in the explosion, I've eliminated her in another way. Lol sorry. Alternatively, if you can't suspend disbelief to that extent, then insert whatever plausible scenario you like. Dawn is too small and annoying to be in this story.**


	9. A Blow to Make A Demon Cry

**Stupid Computers And Their Stupidness!**

**I can't get into the chapter I originally wrote so here I am, re-writing it like a fool. It's a shame, because I liked the other chapter. Ah well. Perhaps not enough plot in this chapter.**

**I'm calm.**

**Warnings: Some authorial anger and swearing, along with all the other stuff in here.My Faith swears. It's what she does. Lol.**

Kennedy watched Willow talking to Xander. Her face was lit up, and she babbled insanely in a way Kennedy had never seen Willow act towards herself. She sighed. _Why doesn't she look at me like that? She looks at Tara's picture that way- the bitch is dead! Get over it! _

_**Succor love is heaven sent.**_

_**You pucker up, our passions spent.**_

_**My heart's a tart, your body's rent.**_

_**My body's broken, yours is bent.**_

Somewhere inside her, Kennedy felt a twinge of guilt for what she'd done to Willow.

_I'll make it up to her._ She thought firmly. She reached out for Willow's hand as they stepped out the door at Xander's side, but felt Willow flinch away. She frowned in annoyance and snatched at it, feeling another pang of guilt as her girlfriend turned wary eyes on her. Kennedy smiled widely. Xander looked between the two of them with a worried frown until Willow turned and smiled at him and he relaxed, starting to pass on messages from Giles.

"He wanted to come, you know that right?" Xander said seriously, looking around to be sure that Willow, as well as Buffy who had just re-entered the room understood him. Buffy nodded and smiled at him.

"But the girls…well a lot of them, it's kind of hard. They're either kids who have no parents, or parents who aren't interested and so they kind of skitz out on us-"

Faith came in at the point and stood near the door, making eye contact with Buffy.

"-or they go nuts- being Super Girl makes them think they're invincible."

Faith laughed scornfully and pointed a discreet finger at Kennedy, who didn't notice.

"So are we going to eat?" Buffy asked, standing up and turning around on the spot, displaying her clothes. Xander looked her up and down, a smile on his face.

"Looking great Buffy." He smiled, "almost as good as super-Xander here."

Buffy was wearing a black leather skirt, with a blue low-cut top.

He stood up, chivalrously offering a hand to the girls on the floor and led them outside where a rented car waited. The second front seat was covered in bags and clothes.

"All of us won't fit in at once so I'll have to make two trips, okay?" Xander said, climbing in. Willow and Kennedy climbed into the backseat, and Xander drove off, watching the remaining two slayers wave at him in his rear-view mirrors.

"So…"

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Are you going to tell him?" Faith asked aggressively, feeling sick inside.

"Tell him what?"

"Fuck you B." The dark haired slayer made to walk off but Buffy grabbed her arm.

"Faith I'm sorry, it's just a little, and I mean, this is all new to me."

Faith sneered. "Well fuck-me Blondie, this is a little new to me too but I'm not afraid. I don't give a shit what any of your friends think about us."

Guessing what was wrong, Buffy said, "They're our friends, and I'm not afraid. I'm the slayer."

"Actually," Faith said triumphantly, "If you want to get technical, I'm 'The Slayer'; you're just 'a Slayer'. Now answer my question! If you are ashamed, just say it and let's get this over with. If you can't handle Xander Harris knowing about us, how come it's okay for Willow and her girl to know?" throughout this angry speech, Faith's face was inches away from Buffy's, and her eyes flashed fire.

Buffy dropped her arm. "Faith, I don't have a problem with telling Xander! God, you sure jump to conclusions don't you?" she walked back to the spot where Xander had left them, and after a few seconds Faith followed. Buffy smiled as she felt Faith standing beside her again, and turned her head in time to catch a look of intense misery on her face.

"Faith, I'm sorry, what's wrong?"

Faith grinned, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Don't worry. Just slayer stuff. Protecting the innocent, blah blah blah. I mean, it's not as if we are a huge thing, or a long-term thing, but it's not something to hide. Xander knew when you went out with Robin."

Buffy blushed. "And when you went out with him."

Faith rolled her eyes.

Buffy laughed and shook her head, leaning gently against the other girl's black-jacketed shoulder.

"There you are!" Xander cried out, as the girls' hopped in. "Could hardly see you in the dark there."

The slayers looked at each other, having forgotten that not everyone saw in the dark as well as they did. "Sorry."

* * *

Around the table at the restaurant, it was easier than Willow had imagined to casually slip into a seat between Buffy and Xander, leaving Kennedy to sit on the other side of the table, next to Faith. 

As they sat across from each other, Buffy noticed that Faith had a frown on her face as she idly twirled the straw in her drink.

"Faith, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! Piss off." Faith snapped.

Buffy scowled and Faith caught her eye.

"Sorry." She muttered. "Just in a funny mood I guess."

Buffy smiled. "That's okay." She said. "I know how to cheer you up." She said cheekily.

Faith smirked, although inside she still felt bad. Guilt had been gnawing at her for weeks, and every time she felt happy, it got worse.

_How can I just sit her calmly, knowing how unhappy Red is? _

_When did I change so much that I care about Red's feelings? _

_I wish I could just punch Kennedy, right here, right now. _

"What does everyone want?" Xander asked, "I'll get the drinks." 

"Just a soda thanks." Willow said, picking up the menu.

Later, dancing. Willow and Xander danced together, Buffy and Faith danced together, and Kennedy sat at the bar, sipping her beer.

"What's with Faith and the Buffster?" Xander asked at last, glancing over at them. "When did they become such good friends?"

Willow blushed uncomfortably. "I'm not sure…I think you should ask them."

"Ask them what?" Xander stopped moving and looked at her. "There's something I should know?"

"Maybe." Willow said quietly.

"You mind if I go cut in with Buffy? You're girlfriend has been sending me telepathic messages to get off you anyway." he joked, backing away.

Willow watched him go, then turned and headed over to Kennedy. "Hey Ken." She said, shouting over the resounding noise. "Hey Will." Her girlfriend stood up, sculled her beer and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You finished dancing with Harris?"

"He wants to talk to Buffy." Willow explained. Kennedy smiled. "Ah, the new development comes out. You know, my watcher told me once that slayers would, if they met, always have a powerful bond because of our powers. Either love or hate. This was obviously after Buffy died the first time."

"You know about that?"

Kennedy's smile was triumphant. "Of course, silly. It's never happened before, they were the chosen two. Very famous in Potential circles. Of course, now it's like the Chosen 100, which isn't quite as catchy. We weren't sure what would happen if Buffy ever died again, but then she did die again didn't she? And no new slayer was called."

Willow nodded half her eye on Xander and Buffy, who, as a slower song came on, started to talk softly to one another. Faith was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, if Willow had looked carefully enough, she might have seen the dark haired girl sitting on top of a stack of tables in the shadows. She was smoking a cigarette, with a no smoking sign above her head.

"Bloody Buffy Summers." She took a long drag of her cigarette and looked around. Willow and Kennedy were also watching Buffy and Xander.

_Buffy looks nervous_. Faith thought.

Xander laughed nervously. He ran his fingers through his hair, took one-step and turned back. "Really?" he said, loud enough for it to carry to where Faith was sitting.

Buffy nodded.

Xander sighed.

He shook his head.

And gave Buffy a hug.

"Whatever makes you happy." He said. He hesitated. "But **_Faith_**?" he said incredulously.

"Yeah." Buffy said with a smile. "Faith. I know this must seem very weird to you, but for the moment, its right for us."

Xander shrugged and led her off the dance floor, back to Willow and Kennedy. Buffy smiled at them, and sat down, glancing around for Faith.

Faith still watched from the shadows, preferring her cigarette, but guessing that Buffy would be able to sense her, in the same way Faith could. She yawned. Dinner was good, but honestly, all Faith wanted now was to go Slay. And right on cue, she felt it. The subtle stirring in the air that she'd never quite been able to figure out. It was as if the breathless vampire changed the air, as if she could feel him passing coldly through it.

She swung her legs off the tables and landed lightly on the ground. Not having a stake on her, but not worried, she followed the vamp out of the restaurant. He was leading a girl into the park opposite.

"Out for a bit of fun gentleman?" Faith called once they were sufficiently into the park.

The vamp turned around. He was a clean cut, all-American kind of guy. Dark curly hair, tanned, blue eyes, and of course a bumpy forehead. The girl he was gripping began to scream. Faith eyed her disinterestedly, and jerked her head sharply. The vamp let his girl go and turned towards Faith, a grin on his face. "Hello sweetheart." He said, face contorting into a snarl.

"Fancy a bit of a suck…either I suck you, or, since you're so pretty, you can suck me!"

Faith laughed. "I think you have the wrong slayer. I don't date the dead." She said, still grinning and taking a few steps nearer. In the back of her mind, she felt a moment of hurt- _still the whore in the whore-Madonna split._

The vamp snarled and lunged.

Faith sent him flying with a few kicks, and when he was sprawled upon the grass, she remembered the toothpick, pulling it out of her pocket.

"Now stay still." She warned, feeling slightly ridiculous. The vampire snarled, and his sneer turned into a grin when he saw what she wielded. "What the-?"

Unfortunately, for him, Faith had worked out quickly that a toothpick would work, provided it was long enough and so, using all her strength, she buried her fist, and the toothpick into the vamps chest. He stared unbelievingly at her, and dissolved into dust. "Should have just gone for the easily meal," Faith commented dryly, turning around and getting a bit of a shock.

"Xander! How long have you been standing there?"

"You didn't notice me?" Xander's more serious face momentarily dissolved into an impish grin. "I've been trying to sneak up on Buffy for years, but she always knows."

"Maybe it's because your pants flap as you walk." Faith shot, walking past him.

Xander followed the slayer inside again. "Dance with me." Faith ordered, pulling Buffy away from her conversation with Willow. Buffy laughed and followed.

Willow watched them through her eyelashes.

Xander sat down. He watched Willow.

Kennedy reached over and took Willow's hand.

Dancing, fast and hard was exhilarating, and as Buffy leaned towards Faith, she caught a smell she was very familiar with. 'Vampire?' she asked. "Yeah," Faith shouted back, "smell like dust don't I?"

Faith danced, watching Buffy try to keep up with her. "You need to cut loose more often B." she said approvingly. She glanced back over to the table. Kennedy appeared to have been behaving herself for the last few days, and the two girls were sitting side by side again, Kennedy sharing Willow's drink. Xander sat across from them, his gaze traveling around the room and landing squarely on Buffy. A wicked smile crossed the dark-haired slayers' face. _Little uncomfortable are you X-man? _

Mid-dance, Faith stopped, and pulled Buffy towards her. Despite her embarrassment, the blonde slayer came eagerly, and Faith bent her low, kissing her passionately as all around them people danced, and some stopped to gawk.

Faith straightened up again, a smile playing on her lips. Buffy was flushed, wiping her lips and looking accusingly at her girl. Faith turned and stared straight at Xander, giving him a wicked wink. Willow looked as though she was trying not to laugh, whilst Xander spilt his drink all over the table.

_**Succor love is known to swing.**_

_**Prone to cling and waste these things.**_

_**Pucker up for heavens sake.**_

_**There's never been so much at stake.**_

It was later that Willow's good mood evaporated. The charming, smiling, friendly Kennedy disappeared as she shut their bedroom door.

"Did you have a good night?" Kennedy hissed.

"What's wrong with you?" Willow asked carelessly, sitting down and removing her shoes.

The blow that came knocked Willow over, sending her sideways over the bed, hands raised to her cheek. It was followed by a strong cruel hand that gripped her wrist, slowly forcing it backwards.

"I wish you'd never become a slayer." Willow said painfully trying to get up, to get away.

Kennedy vaulted onto the bed. She stood above her girlfriend. "Unluckily for you, I am a slayer."

"Well I'm a witch," Willow growled, at last reaching for her powers.

"You dare use that hocus-pocus on me?" Kennedy whispered furiously. Willow made a movement. Kennedy blinked. She couldn't speak! She went red with rage. _All the better, now I won't have to worry about your friends hearing me._ Using all her anger and power, she threw an explosive punch that blasted through Willow's rather weak shielding spell and knocked the Wicca to the ground. Willow gathered her magic and was about to blast Kennedy back again when a face flashed into her mind.

Warren, pleading for mercy. His peeled corpse hanging in front of her. Her magic faded away.

Kennedy pulled the redhead up by her wrists; pressing the other girl to her strong slayer body, she kissed her. "You know I love you, right? I just can't let you use magic on me. I won't, and every time you do, you make me so angry." She kissed her again, her fingers trailing over the bruises that decorated Willow's upper arms. "Why do you have to make me so angry?"

Willow stared dully up at her. Anger still seethed beneath her surface, but it was buried behind a gate of guilt and fear. Despite everything, Willow was more afraid of killing again than she was of being killed. _The anger I felt…it's because of the magic…Kennedy loves me…she was right to do what she did. _Even as Kennedy bit her lips, even as the slayer licked the blood from her lips in a grotesque parody of a real vampire, Willow continued to lie passively, doing nothing to avoid the blows.

Buffy…she said once, reflexively calling on the girl who usually saved her from danger. Kennedy paused above her, naked to the waist. "Calling on a slayer to save you Will? You know what they would say if they saw you? If they saw, how you made me beat you and then writhed underneath me like a whore… You like it rough Willow, and I'm just giving you what you want. Your friends won't be so accommodating. They'll hate you for telling them."

Willow almost told her not to bother trying to convince her. _I could never tell anyone._

"Do you love me baby? Kennedy said, sliding inside her roughly.

"I love you Ken." Willow said brokenly, letting go of her last shreds of self-esteem.

"Do you like to annoy me? Do you deserve to be punished?

Willow stayed silent for so long, Kennedy hit her. Willow still didn't answer.

She slapped her with all her strength, a blow to make a demon wince, and Willow's eyes rolled back in her head, dazed and aching. She could hardly think through the pain in her head, and latched onto the only words that would make the pain stop.

"Yes. I deserve it. Yes."

_**Like the naked leads the blind.**_

_**I know I'm selfish, I'm unkind.**_

_**Succor love I always find,**_

_**Someone to bruise and leave behind.**_

Faith slept alone that night. In her own room, Buffy sat awake by an open window, staring into the sky. She had mixed feelings. She was happy, living with Faith and Willow. She was free both from a lonely duty as the one slayer, and as substitute parent for Dawn. But this new responsibility? That's all it felt like, this supposed gift of one wish. It felt like a pile of chains around her neck, and though she knew it was paranoid, she felt it made the others look at her strangely, as though every time they looked at her they saw their most cherished dream.

She sighed and the very air changed.

It smelled like…like children. Like sticky lollies and red cordial. Like band-aids and mother's perfume.

She glanced around, confused. The smell changed. It smelt like too much deodorant, like scented candles. Someone was muttering nearby, Buffy cocked her head towards the sound.

"You don't get me! I'm not like you!"

Buffy smiled. _Adolescence_.

"I think…I think I love her. Mum, what should I do?"

Buffy frowned. "Mum, don't! Please don't die!"

Buffy looked around frantically but there was nothing to see. No one stirred in the house behind her and there was no one around outside. Nevertheless, she could still hear the voice.

"Sorry, sir." The voice was contrite, and, Buffy knew, somewhat older.

The scent of candles still hung in the air.

"I am you know."

"What?"

Buffy frowned as a second voice intruded. _I know that voice. _

"Yours."

Everything went black, and Buffy fell backwards.

"Hey, watch out." strong hands stopped her descent, pushed her back upwards roughly.

"Faith." Buffy breathed. "You scared me." The other slayer stood behind her, dressed in her pajamas- a long black t-shirt and shorts.

"Snuck up on you did I?" Faith said sleepily. "I heard a noise. Were you talking to yourself?"

"You could hear that? Can you smell the candles?" Buffy asked excitedly.

Faith wrinkled her nose. "If you're going to sleep, why don't you do it in bed? All I can smell is rain, and musty house."

"But you heard the girl talking? Two girls, just then?"

Faith looked at her and a reluctant smile formed. "No. I heard you, muttering. And I've come to drag you away from the window, and into bed."

Buffy shrugged mentally.

"Whose bed?" she asked playfully.

Faith smirked. "You woke me up; you pay the price…yours."

Buffy pouted.

Faith laughed. "Oops." She said, grinning. "I'll wake up the house."

"Come on Blondie" she continued, pulling her towards the bed, "Time to make you pay."

Kennedy sighed. She smiled down at Willow. _All done. She's a good girl now._

Willow tried to smile back, wincing at the pain in her jaw.

**Here it is at last. A new version, alas.**

**Anyway, review, tell me if you loved it or hated it or are in-between.**

**Thanks to: **

**Genimay **

**Sutzina Zion **

**Howard Russell **

**and **

**devianttart, all of whom ****inspired me to keep writing. **

**I didn't realise when I started just how much 'Faith' would creep into my story. **

**Next chapter: Someone discovers the real state of Willow and and Kennedy's relationship and resolves to do something about it.**


	10. Trying to leave makes me angry

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Buffy said loudly.

"I mean, **we're leaving**." Kennedy said, continuing to pack. Willow sat on the bed, fiddling with her socks, her neatly packed suitcase beside her.

Buffy shook her head and turned to Willow.

"Moving out, why?" she asked more calmly.

Willow met her eyes for a moment before looking away. She looked at Kennedy, who smiled, and stroked her hand.

"We are going back to Kennedy's parent's house, in Boston."

Buffy shook her head. Then she smiled.

"Well that's great Will; you've never met Kennedy's parents have you?"

Willow shook her head. "No, but they aren't there. Her parents are on holidays in the Maldives."

"Yeah." Kennedy grinned. "'Sides, we're not staying in the big house exactly, I have a house about half a mile from the main house."

Xander knocked on the door and called out "Everyone decent?"

"Yes!" they shouted back, and he entered. "Sorry, force of habit. I got sick of being pelted with hairbrushes and shoes in England." He said, smiling around at them all before continuing "So sorry to eavesdrop, but did I hear you say you have a house?"

Kennedy nodded tightly. "It's that only child thing. My parents want to keep me close, so they gave me the guesthouse when I turned 18. It's a ten minute walk through the grounds from the main gate."

Xander whistled and then looked around. His eyes fell on Kennedy's open suitcase.

"Are you leaving?"

"Woo-hoo" Faith muttered from downstairs. She waited impatiently for her coffee to boil and argued fiercely with herself.

_Look on the bright side, at least Kennedy will be gone._

_Yeah. Gone to where there's no one around to help the witch. _

_Yeah because you've been, a **great** help so far._

_Shut-up brain. I have to talk to Red again._

"But I just got here, I want to see you!" Xander protested. Willow stared stonily back at him and Kennedy, seeing that Willow wasn't going to reply, intervened.

"Don't worry Xander, we're not going to Africa, or to be locked in a tower, you can come visit us at our place. Its time for Will and me to go."

"Now all we need to do is dig up another house for me and Giles to be gay in and everything will be fine!" Xander shot at Willow. She stared at him, horrified, before a smile began to creep onto her face.

The group cracked up.

Xander, laughing and making sounds of disgust at the same time said, "I cannot believe I just said that!"

"Scary visuals!"

"I'm sorry Will. I guess I'll just miss you." Xander said softly, giving the redhead a hug. Willow smiled into his shoulder. "I'll miss you too!" she said earnestly.

Xander squeezed a bit tighter and Willow winced. "Ow." She said, pulling away.

"Sorry, did I hit a bruise?" he asked.

"Yeah, I hit my shoulder on the door frame." She said.

"Dill." Buffy laughed.

"So you're definitely going then?" Faith stood in the doorway, a scowl on her face.

"Yes." Willow said, avoiding the darker slayer's eyes.

"What about m…Dawn? You promised her you'd always be here for her."

Faith rolled her eyes mentally. _Great Faith. That was the best you could come up with? Now they think you're really insane._

Sure enough, Faith received weird looks of everyone in the room except for Willow, who looked thoughtful.

"Dawn will understand." She said at last, stressing the final word.

"But, what if **she** doesn't? What if she thinks you are better off here?" Faith replied, eyes locked onto the redhead.

"She'll have to keep quiet about her opinion." Willow said softly. "I know what I'm doing."

Xander raised his eyebrows at Buffy, who grabbed Kennedy's arm.

"Come on," she mouthed; "I think this is a private conversation."

Hardly aware that their audience was leaving, Faith turned her head in time to catch Kennedy give Willow a poisonous look, and only the anxious look on Willow's face stopped her from punching the younger slayer out right then and there. Faith strode forward, grabbing the witch's arm.

"What are you doing? Why would you put yourself somewhere no one can help you?"

Willow looked insulted. "I can help myself if needed, I've got my magic."

"Yeah? Then how come you haven't zapped Kennedy into a puddle yet?"

"I can't use my magic on her!" Willow cried recklessly. "It's…it's not right."

"You did it to Tara." Faith shot, exasperated, then watched as her bolt stuck home.

Willow turned her head away and a tear slid down her cheek.

"And she left me for it. What I did to her was horrible and I won't do it again. I'm not a monster."

"No, you're not. You weren't then either." Faith said angrily.

"What would you know? You weren't even here!"

"Red, I know what monsters look like. I've been off the edge of the map, and trust me, that's not you."

Faith's voice was still rough with anger, but Willow heard it gratefully and smiled tremulously.

"Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind very much, if I gave you a hug?"

Faith laughed, and stepped awkwardly towards the smaller girl. One hand touched her hair. _A hug that's not a prelude to fucking, how weird._

"Thanks Faith." Willow let her go. "Thank you for everything."

Willow left the room. Faith followed, watched her walk down the stairs and whispered, "Thanks Red."

Buffy stood at the foot of the stairs. Faith was at the top, seemingly lost in thought.

"Your coffee will get cold." She called. _Wow that was a very mum thing to say. Now remind her to make her bed before she goes outside._

She opened her mouth but decided against it, Faith might not get it.

"I thought we should go slaying tonight, all three of us, and Willow too if she wants to." She said instead.

"What about Xander?" the man himself asked, sitting at the table. "Should I stay home in my apron and cook dinner for you?"

Faith rolled her eyes, and Buffy laughed. "I don't know if I trust you with my cooking thingy's…"

**Night**.

Willow and Xander followed behind the three slayers, watching them politely.

"Just like old times, huh Xan?" Willow said.

"Except without you crunching on a bag of chips and Anya complaining." He replied, sobering somewhat as he remembered his girlfriend.

Willow squeezed his hand gently, and motioned towards the slayers.

Buffy was walking normally, stopping to chat with Willow and Xander, stake held loosely in one hand. Faith walked beside her, her eyes lit up, a grin on her face as she searched for monsters and beasties.

Kennedy walked to the side of both of them, a scowl on her face. Around her neck, she wore a cross.

When the vamps came, she heard them a millisecond after the two more experienced slayers, and launched herself into action angrily, pulling out a long bladed knife she hamstrung the vampire before she killed it, his Mohawked visage dissolving into dust. Beside her, Faith teased her vampire, knocking him down and letting him up again with a sneer. Buffy stood by, half amused. Xander and Willow watched silently. "Put the critter out of his misery." Kennedy said at last.

The look Faith gave her was so poisonous she took a step back.

"I haven't had a good fight in ages, I should thank you" Faith said to her vampire.

He snarled at her.

"It's a shame to kill you, really, it's hard to find guys with hair that good who are still alive." she laughed.

"Bye!" she said at last, putting her fist through his chest.

Xander whistled. "Good punch."

"Thanks X-man" Faith said, exhilarated, slapping him on the shoulder.

Buffy Willow and Xander ran ahead, and from the words that floated back, Faith could hear they were talking of the past.

She picked up her stake, which she'd dropped at some point and came face to face with Kennedy. "What's your problem Faith?"

Faith bit her lip. "Get out of my way. I will hit you if you don't get out of my fucking way."

"Just try it," Kennedy sneered, "I don't know what your problem is but-"

Faith launched herself at the other girl, striking hard with closed fists.

"You little bitch! Touch her again and I'll kill you!" Faith shouted, all the anger and tension suddnely rushing to the fore, making her stronger, making her powerfully angry.

The other three were far enough away that only Buffy heard her. She turned around. The younger slayers were fighting ferociously; Faith landed a kick to the other girls jaw and knocked her off balance, kneeling on her windpipe she watched as Kennedy began to turn red.

"Faith!" Buffy shouted, sprinting towards them.

"Back off B." Faith shouted back at her, dropping her voice she added, "Don't waste your time on scum like her." She leant harder, Kennedy clawed desperately at her denim clad knees.

"Please..." she gasped.

Faith stared stonily into her eyes, glanced up at Buffy and gasped, the pressure on Kennedy's neck loosening slightly.

"What the fuck?" she said, looking behind the blond slayer.


	11. An Unexpected Guest, of sorts

Buffy spun around. Nothing. Just the empty night air and her friends running towards them.

"Faith! Faith stop it!" Willow shouted. She gestured emphatically, Faith tensed, but nothing happened.

_Won't use magic to save yourself, won't use magic to save her. At least you're consistent. _Faith thought, her eyes still searching the air behind her_. There was…someone there._

Buffy looked for a moment longer, turned and kicked Faith off Kennedy, whose face was slowly turning back to its normal colour. She lay, gasping on the ground, eyes angry. Willow knelt at her side. "Are you okay Kennedy?" she asked quietly.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy demanded. "You nearly killed her!"

Faith stood up, brushing off her jeans. "Whatever."

"Not whatever." Buffy grabbed her arms, hard, and shoved her backwards.

"What is wrong with you?"

Faith sneered. "Nothing B. Time that piece of shit got what was coming to her anyway."

"What happened? What did she do?"

Faith hesitated. She glanced over at Willow who was checking Kennedy's neck with her fingers and talking to her quietly.

"I gotta go."

Buffy shook her head. "No. Say, talk to me."

"I wish I could but I'm wanted somewhere else."

"I want you here."

Faith smiled, shook her head. "This is not an 'I've gotta run away' talk. I'm leaving the graveyard, not you."

Buffy blushed. Xander moved from his spot near Willow, taking a stance in front of Faith. "What was that?"

"Move it X-man."

Xander shook his head, lowered his voice. "What do you know that you should be telling me about?"

"Nothing," Faith snapped, "I have to go."

"Not before you tell me what's with that? Did Kennedy do something?"

"Fine." Faith pulled Xander close to her and whispered in his ear, "Willow didn't use magic, did she. Why do you think that is? Ask Kennedy."

Then she ran.

_Come on come on where are you? _

_I saw you, now where are you? Why me Tara? I barely even know you._

_Pick on Buffy; she's a slayer and your friend. Why the hell did I come back to Sunnydale? Bloody apocalypse. _

"Come on, let's just go home." Willow said pleadingly.

"I'll kill her. I'll smash her head in." Kennedy replied, glaring at her girlfriend.

Xander laughed, hands splayed. "Yeah I'd be pissed too but lets not get all homicidal."

The group walked home together, Kennedy staying silent for the most part, tension radiating off her in waves. Buffy and Xander walked behind in an equally awkward silence, neither really knowing what to say to Kennedy.

They reached the house, and Kennedy stormed upstairs. Willow followed, though Xander and Buffy both made moves to stop her.

"She probably wants to be alone. She's angry slash embarrassed." Xander reasoned.

"When did you become such an expert on the female mind?" Buffy asked.

"In England. I give good, manly advice to young slayers." He smiled, briefly, before becoming serious again. "Buffy, what did Faith mean?"

"What did she say?"

"She told me Willow hadn't been using magic, and did I wonder why?"

"That's rubbish. Giles told her, its part of her, there's no reason not to use it." Buffy said.

"What does Faith know that we don't?"

Later

"She…did you see what she did to me? I don't know if I should call the police or just take a sword and fix her myself." Kennedy said, angrily pacing the room.

Willow sat on the bed watching her. "I can't believe she attacked you like that…"

"Now you know, right?" Kennedy said with fierce intensity, turning to her. "Now you know why I wanted you to stay away from her- she's dangerous! She's a killer Willow. Never forget it."

Willow frowned. "I killed people Ken."

Kennedy turned to her, smiled sadly, and for a moment Willow closed her eyes and heard Giles' voice.

_I've not forgotten…Do you want to be punished?_

"I just want to be Willow." The redhead whispered.

_You are. In the end we all are who we are, no matter how much we may appear to have changed._

Overlain on top of his voice was Kennedy's, just as sympathetic but not nearly as reassuring. "You? Not anymore. You're not like her…I've got you under control."

Willow frowned. For months, in control had been her mantra. The spell she'd done to change the slayers had changed her too, and control seemed less difficult, as easy as you control your breathing.

But then there was Kennedy. Kennedy was different, since she got her power, she was darker, scary. Kennedy…told her she was out of control…told her she was dangerous, and Willow believed her because of the nightmares she had. Tara, staring at her with disgust. Warren accusing her of murder, sobbing onto Tara's shoulder as the pretty blonde Wicca smiled at him.

"I could still do it." she said into the quiet air.

_No_, a voice whispered. _You_ _wouldn't. You're too good for that_. But Willow ignored it, ignored the voice that told her maybe she wasn't as bad as she felt. A familiar voice that faded as Kennedy laughed.

"Is that a threat?"

Willow shook her head hurriedly, and Kennedy laughed again. "I think it was. Maybe that's what you and Faith talk about, comparing your respective deeds?"

"No!"

Kennedy laughed again and kissed her. "My dear girl, you are a filthy murderer, one that needs to be kept on a short leash."

Willow slapped her.

Kennedy raised one hand to her cheek. She felt the red mark Willow had left, Willow who still stood staring defiantly. "Well, this has been a good day for me. Choked by Faith, slapped by you, the only reason neither of you are dead is because I have some shred of decency left in me."

Speaking of decency, she slapped the witch back.

"Slap me? Fuck with me behind my back? You did nothing when she was trying to kill me! Buffy, of all people, was the only one who did anything! She's sleeping with that bitch and she still kicked her ass off me!" Kennedy's eyes were teary, her face red, and with each emphatic statement her grip tightened on Willow's arm.

"You bitch!"

Willow staggered under the blow to her face, just under her left eye. Kennedy bared her teeth.

"I love you!" she cried, following it with a blow. All her slayer speed and strength used, she gripped the witch and shook her until her teeth rattled and the world went blurry.

"How can you do this to me?"

"Hey Kennedy I brought you an ice-" the door to their room opened. Buffy stood, ice pack in hand, her mouth open.

"What's going on in here?"

Kennedy didn't flinch, moving her hands quickly into something resembling an embrace she pulled Willow against her.

"Nothing Buffy. Bit of a lovers tiff is all."

"Will?" Buffy asked. "I know what I saw, and that was not a tiff!"

Willow looked up. Her face was tired, and she suddenly looked ten years older.

"This is none of your business Buffy." She said slowly. "Kennedy made a mistake…we all make mistakes…leave us alone."

Buffy stared incredulously.

"You expect me," she said, looking more at Kennedy, "To just leave my friend to get hurt by an immature brat of a slayer?"

Kennedy smiled triumphantly as Willow answered.

"Yes Buffy, I do expect you to keep your nose out of my business, unless you'd like to lose a friend."

Buffy bit her lip to keep from retorting angrily. Her gaze switched between Willow's dead look, and Kennedy's smirk.

She shattered the doorknob on her way out.

Taking the steps three at a time, she threw herself out the door and began to run.

After jogging for a few minutes Buffy realised something was following her so she picked up her pace.

The footsteps still dogged her.

She sped up again, and still the footsteps followed.

At last Buffy turned, realizing that no normal human could have kept up with her, which left her with three alternatives.

It as was a particularly stupid vampire she should stake.

It was a vampire she knew. _Not Angel, not now!_

It was a slayer.

Faith jogged easily up to her, feeling a twinge of annoyance.

"You couldn't have stopped a bit sooner?" she asked.

"I didn't ask you to follow me." Buffy replied.

"I needed the run." Faith said lightly. "So what's up?"

"Willow."

It seemed to Buffy, that with that one word, Faith tensed up.

"What's up with her?" Faith said guardedly.

"Buffy?"

Both slayers whipped around. They'd heard nothing, felt nothing, but there was someone else there.

Faith took a step back. _Was that…?_

Buffy's eyes went wide. Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Tara…?" she whispered.

"I'm so glad to see you." Tara walked forward calmly and gave the stunned slayer a hug, just as if she came back from the dead everyday.

Then Tara turned to Faith.

"Are you a demon?" Faith asked unthinkingly.

"No." Tara smiled. "I'm just alive. And I have a message for you."

"What?" Faith said gruffly. "I don't want any messages from death thank you very much."

"But this isn't from there. It's from Life."

"What?" Faith said warily, making sure she was out of arms reach. Tara smiled beatifically. "Thank you for helping her. Thank you for loving her."

Faith stepped forward, tears starting in her eyes. "I didn't! I couldn't! I couldn't do anything."

Tara shook her head. "Willow always saved me, always. She can't save herself, and she couldn't let you do it. Now she needs me to save her."

_**Picture book of memories, how we used to be**_

_**Some people spend a lifetime waiting for their dreams**_

_**But I won't find the answers by looking at the stars**_

_**I will find my strength in the beat of your heart**_


	12. Fights Conversation Tara

**A.N- ****A Long Awaited Chapter- Since my one shot was ignored, I can only guess my holiday was too long. **

"That thing isn't her." Buffy said angrily to her fellow slayer.

Faith shrugged. "Seems like her. From what I remember. Just less stuttering."  
Tara waited patiently, an understanding look on her face.

"Tara is dead! That's… that's probably the First. You met her once; you had one conversation with her, so how can _**you**_ know?"

Faith shot out her hand, grabbing the witch's shoulder. "She feels like a corpse to me."

"Corporeal?" Tara offered, and Faith shrugged, "Yeah that."

Buffy frowned. "Well she could be a zombie, or, or, some other bad thing. Giles would know. Let's tie her up and send her to England."

Tara took an involuntary step backwards.

"I thought you got to bring someone back?" Faith asked, "Didn't you choose Glinda the good witch here?"

"I didn't choose at all. I couldn't. It wouldn't be right. No-one needs to go through what I went though."

Faith rolled her eyes. "I don't see what's so bad about coming back from heaven anyway," she muttered. At Buffy's outraged look she elaborated. "I mean, now you know where you're going, you have something to look forward to. You can live life, have fun, die young, and know that you're going somewhere good."

Tara smiled at this interpretation of Buffy's ordeal, even as she looked sympathetically at the blonde slayer.

Buffy, meanwhile, was more shocked than angry. "You…you…you don't understand." She said dismissively, and changing the subject back again,

"Tara **is not** alive, she's dead. I would never put that sweet girl through what I went through. Digging out of your grave is not the party you'd think it would be."

Tara remained quiet, looking at the slayer steadily.

"You!" Buffy demanded, turning to her, "Why don't you talk?"

"Sorry." Tara apologised. "I thought you and Faith needed to talk it out first. Buffy, please, calm down. Things aren't the way you think."

There was another pause. "Well, "Tara"- how are they?"

"Is there anything I can do to prove I am who I say I am?" Tara asked, ignoring Buffy's question.

Buffy shrugged. "If you're an agent of the First, you'd know pretty much everything about Tara anyway. I am not letting you near Willow- she won't think, she'll just fall in love with you all over again and then it'll be brokenhearted black eyed vein-y Willow, Part 2."

"The Hellmouth is closed. She can't be the First." Faith interjected.

"One Hellmouth is closed." Buffy corrected. "Giles says there's another one in Cleveland, and there could be one in South America."

"Aww fuck."

She looked a bit hurt, though, and scowled fiercely at the ground.

"Oxford still only telling you stuff." She said quietly, so quietly it was on the edge of Buffy's slayer hearing. She debated with herself quickly as to whether she pretended she hadn't heard that, and decided that a Tara doppelganger rated a higher priority, although not without a pang of guilt.

"I am not an agent of the First. It's really me. Buffy, please, believe me."

Buffy shook her head. "There's no way I can trust you. I just can't know."

"If you can come back, why can't I?" Tara said, irritated at last. Then she smiled.

"I knew anger would come back."

Faith gave her a look.

"So…" Tara trailed off.

Buffy, meanwhile, was nodding her head, thinking, giving every impression that a light bulb had just gone off over her head.

"We'll ask Giles for help." She announced firmly.

"Watcher guy is in England, B." Faith said, with the slow patient tone one adopts when speaking to imbeciles.

"He's a witch- well, kinda. Male witch. Can do magic, anyway, so let's just ring him up, and ask him to perform some kind of mojo on this-" Buffy gestured at Tara, "then we'll know."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Ah, dial a spell, how silly of me to forget."

"Meanwhile **you** will stay…uh, in a motel. With me."

Tara looked as if she was about to speak, then stopped herself.

Faith raised an eyebrow, "What about me?" she teased.

Buffy blushed. "I'm gunna guard her." she hissed.

"I can help." Faith insisted. "Besides, I'm used to staying in dives."

Buffy shook her head. "It won't be a dive, just a nice room, we've got money."

She stopped abruptly, with an expression that suggested she wished she could take back the last sentence.

"What do you mean, we've got money?" Faith asked, sensing another mystery she was not privy to. "We don't have jobs- we've just got the money the council pays us so we can buy food and necessary shit. Right?" her tone was dangerous.

Buffy squirmed. "Actually…we've got a lot of money." She admitted.

Tara stayed quiet, stayed out of a drama that had shifted focus away from her.

"The new council…well Giles is well connected, and he's recruited some powerful people in England, and some in America. Finding the new slayers, sending them to England, training watchers for them and digging up watchers out of retirement, it all costs money."

Faith turned away for a moment, her face shadowed by her raven locks. After a pause she said softly, calmly, "and they're paying you?"

"No!" Buffy hastened. "It's not ready yet, not fully set up. I just meant that if we do this, the council will pay. There's emergency money, or something, waiting for us if we need it. And I think this will count.

"For you if you need it." Faith said flatly.

"No! For us. It's for the senior slayers, I just haven't, and we haven't needed it so… I was going to tell you."

"As soon as you thought I was old and mature enough, right?"

"Faith!"

The dark slayer stalked away a few steps, and then turned around.

"This is not important. Remember your friend, Willow, she is, right? If you can't trust Tara, or me, get her checked out by your trusty Watcher then, and get a fucking move on. I think Red wouldn't like to know you delayed her reunion fussing about stupid shit like this."

Faith ignored Buffy for the rest of their journey, escorting the two of them to a hotel in the south area of town. Faith talked to Tara.

"Do you know what's been going on?"

Tara shook her head. "I did, or I think I did, but its fading. As soon as I woke up," she paused and looked embarrassed "Well I could remember seeing everything. Watching everyone I cared about live their lives. Well, you know," she smiled gently "I don't now, I mean, I remember, I know there's trouble, that Kennedy is bad for her, that there's something wrong with her, but I don't remember!"

Faith stopped walking as Tara's tone grew more upset. "Chill girl. Its wicked cool that you're back- at least you can show Buffy she's not the only who gets to rise from the grave minus fangs- you're not a vamp, are you?"

Tara smiled again. "No, of course not."

The three walked on faster, Tara effortlessly keeping up with the slayers. At Buffy's surprised look, Tara commented "Willow could do this too, but I guess she doesn't want to."

When both were safely ensconced, and she'd exchanged a few quick, quiet, words with Tara and a solemn look, she left. Buffy called after her, but was ignored.

"Where's Faith going?" she asked the thing she was guarding, resentfully.

"Home." Tara said. She still regarded Buffy kindly, a smile on her face.

"What are you smiling at?"

"I know why you are doing this, and I completely understand. I would do the same, to protect Willow."

A sudden pang of guilt had Buffy almost bent at the knees. _I didn't protect her. I should be with her now. _She straightened and almost instinctively tried to leave and when the other girl grabbed her shoulder she threw her roughly away.

"Oww." Tara said softly as she slid into the motel bed. "Pain, real pain, again."

Buffy caught the softly spoken words and spun around, arrested mid flight. Tears obscured her eyes as she helped the taller girl stand up and saw the bruise she'd made.

"Tara I'm sorry." She whispered.

Tara gathered her into a hug. "Oh Buffy.

* * *

At the house, Willow and Kennedy were drinking coffee. Their fingers touched as they held their cups, and they sat close together. Kennedy smiled adoringly at her red-haired goddess, and Willow smiled back, a smile tinged with a hint of fear that had not always been there. Before, when the Hellmouth was open and Kennedy was just a Potential, she could have smiled at the younger girl with affection, with liking, if not the love that she'd shown to Tara, at least the foundations of love.

Faith, upon slinking into the house, viewed this scene with a disconcerted frown. Kennedy smiled again, and stretched, and stood.

"I know I've done a lot of stuff wrong, but I love you." She said gently.

Willow looked at her in amazement. Faith scowled.

"You're all the same." She said, entering the room. Suddenly the air was thick with menace.

"Same old lines, same old song, same old shit. Well not on my watch."

"Problem, killer?" Kennedy asked viciously. Faith took an impetuous swing at her, which was blocked. They held positions, inches from each other, each trying to stare the other down. "Guys, stop it!" Willow looked frustrated.

"Xander" she called. "Where are you?"

The man in question halted at the entrance to the room, behind Faith.

"Here Will."

He eyed the situation, but made no move, commenting quietly to Faith's back, "Try not to break the furniture too much."

She flashed him a grin, and as she turned the younger slayer swung, connecting firmly with her jaw. Faith slammed backwards into a wicker chair, shattering it into a million finger length splinters. She stood up slowly, stretching, and plucking the pieces of wood from her back and legs.

"Let's take this outside." She suggested.

"No!" Willow's eyes were wide her face was red and she blocked Faith's way.

"Don't hurt her! She doesn't mean it!"

Xander pushed past Faith, who was shocked into silence, and took his best friend by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Will, it's not true? She's not?"

Willow didn't quite meet his eye as she replied, tumbling over her words. "She loves me, stop this. You all think so badly of her, and she's not a bad person. She's loves me, she takes care of me, **I need her**."

"Willow." Xander's tone was full with sadness. "You can stand on your own. There's nothing wrong with you."

"Willow come on, lets get out of here. They don't trust you or me, why do you want to stick with them. I'm all you have." Kennedy whispered in her girlfriend's ears, too low for Xander to hear.

But someone did.

"Spike used that line on me just after I came back from the dead. Didn't work on me, won't work on her."

"Buffy?" (Willow)

"B." Faith breathed, half relieved, half angry.

In the doorway, she stood, hands on hips, stony expression on her face.

"Let go of her arm." She said coldly.

Numbly, Kennedy complied, taking a step back into a shadowed corner of the room. Willow watched her with concern, and then forgot her as another person came into view.

"Willow."

Tara Maclay, 23, long blonde hair, blue eyes, magic eyes. From across the length of a room, they eyed each other. There was no sound, no movement, as if the softest noise would shatter what had to be a beautiful illusion. Xander whitened and Kennedy felt like her heart had shattered in her chest as she recognised the young woman standing before them. Willow had a picture of her in her room. Faith and Buffy, meanwhile, stared at each other. Some of Faith's anger melted away as she saw tear tracks on the blond slayer's face.

"Hey sweetie." Tara said. Her voice was clearer than it used to be, more sure of itself.

Willow walked towards her slowly, not even blinking, afraid that this dream, this apparation would disappear. As she closed on her, Tara's own control broke and the two flew into each other's arms, hugging tightly. Tears rolled down their faces.

_Angels cry, when stars collide _

_I can't eat and I can't breathe _

_I wouldn't want it any other way._

Tara drew back to gaze at Willow solemnly.

"Why did you forget who you are, how much you mean?" she asked.

Willow looked away, and then she looked around. Xander, Buffy, Faith, all watching them and trying to look like they weren't. She turned to the corner where Kennedy was standing, but the younger girl was gone.

_When I see your smile  
Tears run down my face I can't replace  
And now that I'm strong I have figured out  
How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul  
And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one_

_I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven_


	13. The End

**Thankyou to all my reviewers, especially devianttart, pezgirl1 and Lil428.**

**Your reviews inspired me when I was getting into the dreaded ending writers block. You know, when you don't want to end the story and so you refuse to update. Lol.**

The onlookers slowly left the room, to give the two girls time together. For many long minutes they just looked at each other, holding hands, drinking in each other's presence without words.

"Tell me how you're here."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"How can you be here?"

Tara blushed and looked down. "I'm a gift."

"I don't deserve one."

"I think…I think Buffy brought me back."

"You're her gift?" Willow asked innocently, then, worried. "But you're not like her? You didn't…" Willow lowered her voice, "Dig out of your grave? I swore I wouldn't do that to anyone."

"No. I'm glad to be here. I don't remember where I was before, just that I was happy. I'm happy here too." Tara looked at Willow.

"Are you really happy?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Tara…Tara I did things. Bad things."

Tara shook her head sadly.

"I know. I saw."

"You watched?"

"I tried to reach you, to talk to you, but I couldn't get through…"

Willow looked down, tears forming. "I'm sorry."

Tara took her hand. "Look at me."

Willow slowly raised her brown eyes to meet Tara's.

"I can't forgive you. You have to forgive yourself."

Willow nodded, and looked away. "And if I can't?"

"I won't lose you again." Tara said firmly. Then she blushed. "I mean, if you…you don't have to…"

"Tara!" Willow said overloudly, turning red herself. "Of course. It's only you. It's always been you."

She hesitated, and Tara caught her eyes again, trying to look into them and see the Willow she remembered.

"I couldn't. That's why. I mean, I did it. That's why she would get so angry. I couldn't love her the way she wanted me to."

"No sweetie. It's not your fault. None of that is your fault."

Willow shook her had sadly and looked at the taller girl as though she pitied her. "You really can't see?"

"See what? I can see you Will."

"It's everything. I hurt you. I violated your mind, and my friends, and then you died and I couldn't save you."

Tara wanted to interrupt, but Willow ploughed on regardless.

"Then I killed Warren. He didn't mean it. He didn't want to kill you, not even Buffy. He was just a stupid messed up guy and I was so angry and I killed him. And I feel so bad because I don't…if it happened again I'd do the same. I'd kill him."

Tara drew back in shock, but regretted it as Willow noticed and let out a sob.

"And I destroyed her…Kennedy. She wasn't like this. It's the spell I did. I made her a slayer when she should never have been. She should have been a kid, in college, kissing her girlfriend without bruising her lips. I did that to Kennedy, and to all those other girls. So many girls, trapped in a life they didn't ask for. All because of me."

Tara reached out tentatively, part of her wondering how she missed seeing all the guilt her girlfriend carried, all the anger and fear that must have always been waiting for a catalyst to emerge.

"I love you Willow." Tara said softly, slowly, half afraid it wouldn't be enough.

The softly spoken words reached Willow's ears, and she looked up through a tangle of hair in a way that reminded Tara of herself, a bittersweet resemblance.

"And I love you."

Silence descended like a long black cloak. Tara stirred first, as if the long months she'd been gone she'd been still, and she got up from the floor with new grace. Carefully, she extended a hand, and helped Willow up. They walked hand in hand through the house, to the living room where Buffy, Faith and Xander sat quietly talking.

The three looked at them, smiling, and stood. Xander and Tara hugged, and she smiled at him gratefully as Buffy and Willow hugged. Faith smiled, watching them.

"I'm really sorry about Anya." Tara said in the carpenter's ear. He looked at her with his eye gilded with tears.

"I'm glad you're back," he replied.

Tara tired quickly, and Buffy, remembering her own experience was quick to insist that Tara went to sleep. She put her in Dawn's room. Willow stood in the doorway, watching the witch sleep until Xander lead her away. Downstairs, they sat on the couch, and she put her head in his lap, and he stroked her hair until she too, fell asleep.

Faith watched the entire goings on quietly, from the front porch, west facing, shaded. When she was certain that Willow was asleep, that Xander was sitting quietly beside his best friend, she sat down on the steps, lit a cigarette, and breathed out.

"You could get cancer from that."

Buffy came down the stairs and seated herself next to Faith.

The dark slayer grinned. "I'm a slayer. We don't live long enough to worry about the big C."

Buffy grimaced but let it pass. "I tried to call Dawn but apparently she and 'Dad' are out sailing…"

"What about Giles?"

Buffy nodded seriously. "I thought maybe you'd like to call him…"

Faith smiled and blew another smoke cloud. "Why me?"

"Why not you?"

"I'm glad Tara is back." Faith said, changing the subject. "You, and Xander, and Blondie can look after Red. The only think I want to do is take care of Kennedy but…who knows where she's gone?"

Buffy tried to take the younger girl's hand but Faith moved it away, firmly. Buffy frowned.

"Faith…"

"Look B. it's nothing personal. I just…I'm thinking, you know?"

"Yeah?"

"And, I mean, why am I here? What good am I doing? I said, way back then, that when all this was over, Apocalypse done, I'd go back to jail. I'd do my time, plus the extra for escaping in the first place. Then I just, when it was over, when we were running in the magic school bus I just let it slip to the back of my mind. I kept going, figuring that you'd need me to help with the cleanup, with patching them slayers and sending them somewhere safe. Well X-man and Oxford are doing that, aren't they? Got 'em all in some kind of slayer boarding school…."  
Though Faith's tone hadn't changed throughout, she stopped looking at Buffy and intensely studied her hands.

"And then this stuff with Red…I figured I could help with that, since she wouldn't tell you about it…wouldn't let me just beat Kennedy into the ground…but its done. Kennedy's gone, Tara is here, and however that happened it means that I'm done. "

Her tone was bleak, and soft as a sigh. "There's nothing for me here."

Buffy frowned. "If I am nothing."

"I can't do it B. I can't just hang on here, giving you sex and nothing else."

"You think that's all we are?" Buffy asked angrily.

"Not we. Me. I'm a criminal B, a killer, and I came to Sunnyhell because I was needed. But I'm not now. Not even by you. I won't survive here B."

Shocked into silence by the last sentence, Buffy just listened, though anger and sadness warred inside her for dominance.

"I have to pay for what I've done, and keep on paying. If I stay, if I stay here where not even you trust me, I'll…do something. Kill someone. Or myself."

"I trust you." Buffy protested.

"With your body, yeah. But as a slayer? Heck, not even the New Council wants me. I'm not even the spare, now that there's so many. At least before I could be your shadow, I could be the runner up to your Miss World, but now I'm nothing. I'm shit. I patrol, in this town with one, maybe two vampires a week, and I can't even protect Willow, and she fucking lives with me! I'm a slayer B, and I don't have a purpose. That's what I am, that's what you are, and I can't live as anything else."

Buffy stared at her. "But I want you here." She said.

"But you don't need me here."

"Where do you think you'll go if you leave? Back to the streets? Back to Angel?" Buffy asked sharply.

"Angel. It always comes back to him doesn't it? No, B. not Angel. I'll leave him to pine away for you until the day you decide you're ready to let him back in." Faith replied angrily, standing up.

"The day you fuck him again and his soul stays because he's been waiting so long that not even you back can make him perfectly happy."

Buffy slapped her. "Don't talk to me about him." She said, electricity sparking from each word. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Still mouthing off about things you don't understand." Faith said venomously, deliberately echoing Buffy's own words from long ago, when they were teenagers. She returned the slap with all her strength, punching Buffy in the jaw. They were silent, staring at each other for a long time.

"I'm sorry." Buffy said first.

Faith scuffed the ground with her boots. "Me too."

Buffy clasped her hands, squeezing them. Faith moved her hands away, kissed Buffy on the forehead and walked back into the house. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

There was a pause. Then a clicking sound. The echoing of the long distance call was minimal.  
Hearing the concern in Giles' voice, and eventually, after talking to Buffy, Willow, and Tara herself, his delight, Faith was glad she'd rung him. After a long time, passing the phone around to the gathered girls, Buffy had passed the phone back to her, saying "He wants to talk to you."

"Faith. How are you feeling?"

Confused, Faith reiterated similar things to the others. "It's great Tara is back. Wow. Etc."

Faith could almost see him taking off his glasses and polishing them.

"That's nice Faith, but I wanted to know about you."

Faith breathed out slowly, confused. "I'm good. You know. Killing time. Thinking its time I got back to prison, y'know? B don't need me here….. now the world didn't end."

Giles either ignored or didn't pick up on the bitterness.

"Yes, well, quite. Ah, I wonder if you'd like an alternative. Not, of course, that these are your only options, but, ah."

Faith interrupted, amused at his awkwardness. "I get'cha Watcher man. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to England and help me."

"Huh?"

"In your capacity as the slayer, you could assist the girls we have over here, provide insight into some of the realities of this life that I, and the various watchers I've managed to round up are unaware of."

Faith debated with herself silently._ My escape route._ _No. Stuck teaching a bunch of snotty Kennedy clones. Or worse, little Buffy's. _

"You'd be housed separately from the girls of course, who live in dormitory style accommodation mostly. I sold my flat to move out here, and Xander and I live in what the girls call the HQ. Where they report for patrol, for training, to record their dreams. So you-"

"Why me?" Faith asked abruptly cutting off his next sentence, and ignoring a chance to say something crude.

"Pardon?"

"Why aren't you asking Buffy to do it?"

Giles sighed. "I thought you'd like to. You connected much better with the Potentials, and I am confident that you will make an excellent trainer for these girls. "

Warmed by his compliment, Faith couldn't help but smile. Xander, who until that moment had been talking loudly with Willow and Tara, who hadn't dropped hands since they woke up, laughed out loud and crowed "Faith did a goofy grin!"

"Now she's death staring me!" he mock cowered behind his small redheaded friend as she aimed a light hearted swat at him.

"Hey X-man, you are heading to merry old England again aren't ya?" Faith asked, covering the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Yeah, "he looked affectionately at Tara and Willow, "But not for a few weeks."

"Well, how do you feel about me coming over to show you and Giles how it's done?"

Xander did an exaggerated doubletake, thought for a moment, and gave her a thumbs up.

Tara and Willow exchanged concerned glances. Buffy's smile froze on her face.

Though Giles' first impulse had been to jump on a plane, dash back to his kids and make sure Willow was alright, he'd managed to restrain himself, knowing his slayers in England needed him. Talking to Buffy, he'd a sense that she was hiding something from him, but she reassured him that it was not about Tara, and that he didn't have to worry that Willow had fallen off the wagon so to speak, in order to bring her girlfriend back.

He enquired politely about Kennedy, and was surprised at the hostility he'd heard when Buffy told him the younger slayer had left, they weren't sure where. Willow sounded like she was going to cry when he asked her, and so he didn't press. Seven years amongst the Scoobies had taught him when not to ask.

Talking to Faith, he'd been surprised at her bitterness, at her sad and resigned talk of returning to jail, of having no place in the brave new world forming. It took a few moments of conversation, carefully avoiding Buffy's name before he realised that whatever was wrong with Buffy involved Faith, and vice versa.

"I wish I could celebrate with you tonight, but know that I am very happy for you, and very glad you got your miracle. You deserve it Willow."

Willow smiled sadly and didn't reply. Tara squeezed her hand.

Xander didn't take them out to dinner that night. Instead he sent Willow, Tara and Faith to the garden whilst he and Buffy cooked. Well, Buffy set the table, lit candles, and poured the wine while Xander cooked.

When all was ready, dusk had descended, and as they took their places at the table the candles cast lights into their eyes, making everyone there glow. Xander took the head of the table, and smiled around at his friends, genuine joy on his face.

Inside, Tara wondered if he was, or would be, bitter because of Anya, because she did not return, but if he felt anything like that he kept it hidden.

She sat on his left, with Willow next to her, and they held hands all through dinner. On Xander's right, sat Buffy, in a cloud of mixed emotions that settled, at least for this one meal. Faith sat next to her, and though she and Buffy exchanged glances frequently, neither talked to the other, Faith directing her jokes and sardonic comments on the conversation to Willow or Xander.

After dinner, Dawn finally returned Buffy's call, and when Tara answered the phone, Dawn squealed down the phone so loudly she could be heard from the next room. She then panicked, convinced that Willow had done this somehow, that Tara would be like Buffy. Tara moved away, out of earshot in order to spare Willow's feelings, and explained, calming Dawn down, that no one was sure how she came, or why, least of all Tara herself, but that she was pretty sure that it was Buffy's wish. When she was at last able to get off the phone, after having Dawn babble excitedly for hours, and everyone present getting a screech and a long distance hug from Dawn, Tara returned to the living room.

Only Willow was present.

"Xander went to bed." She explained awkwardly. "So did Buffy. I think Faith went to patrol."

Tara nodded calmly. She took Willow hand, drew her up, and kissed her.

"I'm taller than you." She informed the other girl.

Willow nodded. "I know. You used to slouch, like you didn't want to be."

"I like it." Tara informed her. "I can see the top of your head. It's cute."

"I have a cute head?"

"A very cute head. With cute hair. And sexy ears."

Willow laughed, and covered the aforementioned ears. "They're funny. No-one has sexy ears."

"Funny-sexy. Like Jack Sparrow."

"I have Jack Sparrow ears?"

Tara laughed, and took her hand.

"I missed you. I remember that. Wherever I was, it was Willow-less."

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Still, guilt stained her tone.

They walked up the stairs together, and hesitated. Willow stepped towards her own room, and Tara followed. "I'm gonna protect you from now on." She said, not stuttering. Willow remembered thinking how cute Tara's stutter was, but thought this quiet confidence made the girl so bright, so glowing. _Maybe it's because she's an angel._

Tara drew Willow down beside her, and they lay quietly in each others arms for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. Soft lips grazed Willow's eyebrows, traced a path down to her lips. A tear fell from her brown eyes, and traced a silver path down her cheeks. Tara wiped it away gently with her thumb.

"I love you."

**And that's it! Except for a small Epilogue type thing, A Love Returned is over. Please, review. I finished a story. I stopped procrastinating long enough. I feel happy. Willow and Tara's journey isn't over, of course, but they are together again, and Willow can see the sun in all the darkness. **

**I am planning on a sequel, although it will have to wait until I find a job.**

**Then Willow, Tara, B and F, as well as Kennedy's futures will be explored.**

**Epilogue coming soon...**


	14. Epilogue

**_Epilogue_**

Xander ended up staying six weeks, until at last he realised he was needed back at the Council. Reluctantly, he packed his bags, leaving the top pocket of his suitcase empty. The day before he left, he went out and came back with a stack of tiny gifts, American flags and buttons and postcards to give as gifts for the girls he'd left behind. Buffy and Willow teased him, and Faith made off colour jokes about jailbait and the age of consent in England. Her luggage fit into one sports bag.

Tara and Willow spent a long time getting to know each other again. Tara, though just as gentle and kind, was more confident, and it had her smiling and laughing a lot more, she even had a spirited argument with Faith over the movie they were watching that night. . Willow meanwhile, struggled to shake off her feelings of guilt and inadequacy, as well as a fear that Kennedy, AWOL since Tara's resurrection, would return.

Buffy and Faith didn't talk about Faith's decision for weeks, although they gradually resumed talking about everything else. It was Tara, of all people, who comforted Buffy when she came across the blonde crying on the back steps a few nights before Faith was due to leave.

The night before Xander and Faith were to leave, Buffy and Faith found themselves patrolling a quiet cemetery, completely alone for the first time in weeks. Faith babbled about everything and anything, and it wasn't until she slipped and mentioned England that Buffy gave her anything other than monosyllabic replies.

"So you're excited to go?"

"Uh, well, you know. Yeah. Should be cool. Never been out of the country before."

Faith waited, knowing Buffy had more to say.

"Faith…" her voice thick with tears, Buffy stepped closer to the dark slayer, who bit her lips in confusion.

"Don't…please…I thought you loved me."

The words hit Faith like a punch in the guts, and she rocked forward, reclaiming Buffy's lips. They were salty from her tears, and opened willingly.

"Don't go." Buffy gasped as Faith pulled away. Faith shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Buffy reached for her, and as Faith stepped away, she kissed her again. Harder, passionately. Buffy wouldn't let her go, she tugged at Faith with desperate fingers until Faith allowed herself to be pulled close, and then down. On the dew-wet grass in the middle of the night, they shed their clothes and Faith gasped, Buffy above her, "I can't stay. I have to do this."

Buffy kissed her into silence, and answered her tearfully. "I know."

Then there was just the silence of love, broken with short moans and cries.

When they were finished, they lay side by side without a hint of self consciousness, Faith teasing the end of Buffy's hair into knots. "You don't owe me anything." She said.

"What?"

"Break up sex. Goodbye sex. This wasn't a promise."

Buffy nodded wistfully. "I knew that Faith."

They got dressed, kissing as lovers do. Faith's hands were inside Buffy's shirt; her mouth plundering Buffy's when they both felt it. A vampire. They pulled away from each other, and Buffy staked it.

They walked home in silence, went to bed in silence, now in separate rooms.

In the morning, Xander and Faith caught their flight to England. Buffy, Willow and Tara waved them off at the airport. Buffy watched the plane disappear into the sky, and turned back around in time to catch her two friends in a passionate clinch. "Jeez guys, get a room."

Tara blushed, and then laughed. "Come on," she said, "Buffy's shouting us coffee."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, and laughed herself. "Ok. Anything you say commander." 

_Inside a train, first class section._

_Booted feet lay on plush red interior. The other occupant of the train, an elderly man in an Air force uniform eyed said feet disapprovingly, but refrained from speaking. The owner of the feet, a young girl with a scowl adorning her bronzed face yawned loudly, and sipped from a bottle of coke._

_Inside, her feelings were turmoil, and the old call in her blood sounded loudly in her ears. __**Fight. Slay. Revenge.**_

_Kennedy yawned again, and settled her hood back over her face, shading her eyes. She closed them, waited, and felt that pull. The one that had got stronger ever since she touched down at the airport. __**I am going the right way.**__ And when I am done, Willow will belong to me._

_Outside, the harsh African sun beat down on the grasslands._


End file.
